


The Monster's Sister

by Donatellosgirl36



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family Drama, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-14 04:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7999342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donatellosgirl36/pseuds/Donatellosgirl36
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“They say he’s a monster. They say he’s bad. They say he’s not worth saving. But all I can think about is how he saved me.” - Ever wonder what makes a villain, a villain? Life either breaks us or makes us stronger. A 1987 verse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cruel Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own TMNT. Lucky for you guys, ‘cause I’d hoard them all to myself! Hahahaha
> 
> A/N: A few quick points to remember here folks.
> 
> 1\. This is based on the 1987 series, but is actually placed in 1997. So, the guys are like twenty-five. 
> 
> 2\. Although it was rare, they did refer to each other in a familial sense from time to time and so I’ve let that be more of the norm here. Another words they will refer to each other as brother, not friend as was often done in the old series. And to Splinter as father on occation.
> 
> 3\. Samantha is the only OC in this fic, the rest will be from the series.
> 
> And yes, I know I haven't finished A Never Ending Bond, but I promise I will. I'm having a bit of writers block on that one at the moment, so I thought I'd give you this one to chew on in the meantime.

_They say he’s a monster. They say he’s bad. They say he’s not worth saving. But all I can think about is how he saved me._

**Twenty Years Ago...**

When she heard the apartment door open, she pulled the covers over her head, fear pulsing through her. The bedroom door creaked open and she rolled into a ball. Was he drunk? What would he do to her? Footsteps moved swiftly across the dingy carpet and she cringed as the covers were pulled back. "Samantha!"

Her eyes popped open as relief washed over her. "Joey!"

The seven-year-old boy glanced towards the door as footsteps started down the hall. "Hurry!" He half pulled her out of the bed to the floor. The two scrambled beneath it. Tears streaked her cheeks as he wrapped his arms protectively around her. "Shh..."

She struggled to quiet her sobs as the door opened and the heavy footsteps entered. The two children held their breath as a male voice cursed. "Where are you! You little brats! Come out or so help me when I find you, I'll break those scrawny necks of yours!" The man ranted for a few more minutes, until the sound of the bedside lamp breaking filled the room followed by a thump.

Joey slowly moved out to make sure their father was properly passed out. He reached under the bed to pull out his five-year-old sister. "Come on." He whispered. She clung to him as they edged across the small room past the broken lamp and drunken body.

Once they were in the hall and Joey had pulled the door closed behind them, Samantha spoke. "But Joey, what if he wakes up?"

He wrapped an arm around her. "He won't tonight. But you can sleep with me, just in case."

She followed him into his room and snuggled down next to him. "I'm scared, Joey."

He pulled her close. "Don't worry. I'll always protect you, Sams. I'm your big brother after all."

&*&*&*&*&

**The Present…**

"You sure you wanna do this?"

Samantha zipped up her bag and smiled at the large red headed woman. "Yes, I'm sure Red. It's time I got out on my own. I've got a decent job and I've saved up enough for my own place."

"If you'd let us help you out, it wouldna took so long." Jersey Red smiled at the young girl.

Samantha chuckled. "I wanted to earn it for myself, not just steal it."

Jersey Red rolled her eyes. "That's our Sams, always got to do things the honest way."

Samantha threw the bag over her shoulder. "Yep, I want Joey to be proud of me when I see him again. I want him to see what he helped me become." She looked at Jersey Red. "You will tell me, if you hear from him?"

Jersey Red frowned. "Cupcake, you know we ain't seen him since he hooked up with that weirdo."

Samantha's shoulders sagged. "I know, but he could still show up."

Jersey Red smiled tolerantly. "Well, if he does, I'll tell 'im where you're at. Okay, Cupcake?"

Samantha smiled and pecked her on the cheek. "Thanks Red. I'll call you when I get settled in."

Jersey Red walked her to the front steps of the old apartment building they'd been crashing in and she waived as she walked away. Pulling the bag up on her shoulder, she strolled down the street with her head up and shoulders squared. She'd learned many things from her surrogate family in the past twelve years, not the least of which was self-defense. But in this neighborhood she had no need of the skill. They all knew who she was and that she was off limits. Although she didn't wear the markings of the gang she'd lived with for so long, she was under their protection. She was their little sister.

The apartment she'd picked was small, but it was close to her job and it was in a pretty safe neighborhood. It had to be or Jersey Red would have never let her leave. She sighed softly as she slipped her key into the door, checking her surroundings out of habit before entering. The small studio apartment wasn't beautiful, but it was functional. And it was a lot better than most of the places she'd lived in throughout her life.

The place came furnished with a daybed, a small table and chairs, and cookware, but she'd have to provide everything else. Dropping her bag on the bare mattress, she pulled out the few outfits she owned. It was a good thing today was her day off. That meant she could get a few essentials before she had to go back to work tomorrow. She sighed softly as she unloaded her few possessions. After the clothes were hung in the tiny closet, she pulled out the small children’s book and gazed at the worn cover that had lost its glossiness long ago. Setting it aside, she pulled out the rumpled photo of her family. It had changed over the years from bright colors to muted oranges and reds, but the faces could still be seen and that was what was important. The family of four smiled back at her from their frozen prison. There was her mom, dressed in a sun dress with curly blonde hair framing her lovely face. Beside her stood their father, wearing an expression that she never remembered seeing in real life. His happiness seemed to glow off the paper. In front of them were two small children. Samantha smiled at the five-year-old Joey with his arm wrapped around her three-year-old self. He looked happy too.

She couldn't help but let out another forlorn sigh as she set the photo aside. That family was a fairytale, one long gone. In fact, she didn't really remember the woman in the photo, though she’d been told often enough that she looked just like her. All she could remember was the man, and he was not that man with the smile and sparkle in his eye. She shuddered remembering the night Joey had come to her room and demanded she pack her clothes.

**_-Flashback-_ **

“Joey, where are we going?”

He pulled her along, glancing back over his shoulder. “Hush, Sams!”

“But Joey!” They were now several blocks from home and he pulled her into an empty alley. His arms wrapped around her tightly. His heart was pounding loudly in her ears and he was shaking all over. “Joey, you’re scaring me!”

He took a few deep breaths and leaned back to look down at his twelve-year-old sister. “He was gonna hurt you, Sams! I couldn’t let him do that!”

She blinked at him unsure what he meant. “Hurt me? But he hits us all the time….I don’t understand.”

Joey’s black eye was current proof of their father’s drunken rages. Her own body held marks, where he grabbed her too hard or shoved her too hard. But Joey never let him hit her, he always intervened. That’s why he wore the worst of what their father doled out.

Joey pulled his backpack off and pulled out a blanket. He sat down against the alley wall and tugged her down next to him. “It don’t matter.” He mumbled.

Samantha snuggled against his side. “It’s cold out here. When are we going to go home?”

His arm tightened around her. “We’re not going home. Never ever again.”

She lifted her head from his shoulder. “But what about all my stuff? Why can’t we go home?”

Joey’s jaw clenched. “He was gonna hurt you, Sams.” He racked his fourteen-year-old mind, trying to find a way to explain it to her. “He was gonna hurt you like only a guy can hurt a girl.”

Her blue eyes grew wide in shock and fear, finally understanding what he was trying to say. Tears spilled from her eyes. “Daddy….was going to do that to me?” She wasn’t stupid, they’d grown up in a rough part of town. By now she knew what happened if you hung out in the wrong places with the wrong people.

Joey pulled her closer still. “Yeah, but don’t you worry. I’m not gonna let him touch you.” He hugged her as she sobbed. “I’m gonna take care of you from now on, Sams. You just wait and see.”

- ** _End of Flashback-_**

Samantha swiped at her face. "Stupid! That was a long time ago! Get it together!" She took a deep breath and rummaged in her pockets for the wad of bills. She laid them on the mattress in front of her. One, two, three - twenties and a five. Well, it wasn't much but she could get some sheets and a few groceries anyways. She could make them stretch for another week or so, until she was paid again. She wasn’t used to eating on a regular basis anyways.

Picking up the bills, she rolled them tight and stuck them down inside her bra. There wasn't a pick pocket in the world that could get them there without her noticing. Then she tucked her keys in her pocket. She'd learned long ago that purses made you a target. If you looked like you didn't have anything, most people would ignore you. She smirked to herself. _I pity the poor fool that tries anything on me._

Stepping outside, she gave another quick glance around. Her apartment was on the basement level of an old brownstone that had been converted into apartments. The area just outside her door was dark with a small set of steps that led up to street level. Some might call her behavior paranoid, but growing up on the streets she'd learned to be alert. If you weren't, you were dead. She quickly locked up and headed up the stairs to the sidewalk.

_Okay, first priority are some sheets._ Surveying the street, she began to stroll towards the shop she knew would be open right now. It was late even by New Yorker standards. But she liked this time of night the best, when most people slept and the stars were still visible. Every once in a while, a car would pass, illuminating the darker alleyways across the street. That's when she spotted them. There were six in all, loitering around the end of an alley. She turned her eyes forward, keeping them in her peripheral and stuffing her hands in her pockets. She kept her pace steady, head up, shoulders back. But it was too late they'd spotted her. Groaning inwardly, she tried to ignore them. She didn't recognize their gang markings, but she knew that they weren't armatures by the way they approached her.

"Hey, sweetheart, what you doin’ out so late?"

She rolled her eyes, still trying to ignore them. But one hurried to block her path. She groaned loudly. “Don’t you boys have some candy to take from babies or something?”

The one that was apparently their leader moved to face her. “You’re pretty mouthy for a little girl out on the streets by herself.”

She folded her arms, glaring and tapping her foot. “I have things to do, so why don’t you get out of my way.”

“Ooh, she’s spunky! I like it! Could I have her boss?” One guy got a little too close for comfort.

She swatted away his hand as he reached for her. “Believe me when I tell you, you won’t like what you get.”

“Girl, you are way out numbered.” The leader made a motion with his hand and two of the men grabbed her from behind, locking her arms behind her back. She struggled for a moment, but they were much bigger than her. The leader took hold of her chin with an evil sneer. “Keep that spirit. We like it when they fight.” He rubbed a dirty thumb across her lips and she snapped her teeth at it with every intention of taking the digit off. He snarled and backhanded her. “Take her into the alley.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leonardo pulled his trench-coat closer with one hand as he strolled down the empty city street. His other hand was occupied with balancing a large stack of pizzas. “Gosh, I’m running kind of late. I hope the guys don’t mind.”

The wind whipped around him as he strolled down the street in the direction of home. There was no point in going underground when there were few people out this late. He’d only made it three blocks, when he heard the voices coming from the alley.

“Hold her still, you idiots!”

“But boss, she’s stronger than she looks!”

“You’re twice her size, dimwit! Hold her down!”

“Ow! She bit me!”

“Get off me!” The last voice was female and angry by the sound of it.

Leonardo didn’t have to think as he darted into the alley to find six guys trying to pin down a small blonde woman. He tossed the pizzas aside in a neat pile and threw off his trench-coat. “Didn’t you boys hear the lady? She said get off her.”

“Beat it freak! This one is ours! She was askin’ for it!” The leader struck Samantha again.

“Stop that!” Leonardo took a step forward. “I said let her go.”

The leader angled his head at the turtle. “You boys take care of him, while I take care of her.”

Three men moved towards Leo. With a flip, a kick, and a punch, he took out all three. He turned back to the three men holding the young woman in time to see the girl kick the leader in a very sensitive area. The leader yelped and staggered away from her. Leo watched in astonishment as she swung her knees up to nail the two thugs that were still trying to hold her down. One thug hit the wall behind him and blacked out. The other released her and she jumped to her feet, only to turn and kick the guy in the head.

“Don’t you think that was a bit much? He was already down.” Leonardo pointed out.

She whipped her head around to glare at him with bright blue eyes. “They were trying to rape me. So, no, I don’t.”

“Why, you little-!” The leader was on his feet again, charging her. She side stepped just in time for him to run headlong into the wall.

Leo had to admit the girl was good. He smiled a little at her. She started to return it, but then her eyes grew large just as he felt something pierce his leg. He growled, turning and kicking the man that had just stabbed him with an old rebar rod right through his calf. The man rolled away and Leo clutched his injured leg.

Suddenly the woman was beside him, taking his arm. He looked down into her intense blue gaze, her curly blonde hair framing her round face. “Come on.” She pulled his arm over her shoulder and started to move them out of the alley.

Leonardo wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t walk without her aid, but he had no idea where she was going either. “Wait? Where are you taking me?”

“My apartment’s just up the street.” She glanced back at the alley full of unconscious bodies. “Do you want to stay here?”

He didn’t have to glance back. “No.”

“Then come on.” She helped him down the sidewalk, which was still empty, and down the steps to her door. She struggled to pull out her keys while keeping the increasingly heavy turtle from falling on his face. Finally, she managed to get the door open and they both stumbled in a few paces before she hit the lights.

Leo was disoriented. His vision was blurry and he felt incredibly weak all of sudden. This was why the sparse apartment was somehow amusing. “Nice place.”

Samantha gave a bitter chuckle. “Sorry, I just moved in today. I didn’t realize I was going to be having a guest.” She lowered Leo onto the bed. “Lay here for a minute.” She hurried back to the door, locking it, and then pulled out her duffle. She hadn’t planned on patching anyone up this fast either. Her first aid kit was rather low on supplies. Grabbing a shirt off one of the hangers, she took the few steps back to his side. Leo was staring blankly at the ceiling, his eyes at half-mast. She frowned at him. “You still with me?”

He groaned. “Yeah.”

“I’ve got take this rod out. It’s going to hurt – like really hurt.”

Leo took a deep breath. “Go ahead.”

She didn’t wait for anything further. Taking hold of the rod in one hand and pressing on his leg with the other, she yanked it out in one move. Leo came off the bed with a cry. She rushed to hush him. He hunched over his leg which was bleeding worse now and she gripped his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. But you have to be quiet. Please!”

He sucked in a harsh breath and nodded, biting his tongue. “I need to call….” He swayed and she pressed him back onto the bed.

“Whoever it is, we can call them later. Right now you need to rest.” She hadn’t finished her sentence before he was out. She sighed. “Don’t worry. You’re safe.”


	2. Possibilities

Splinter entered the living room to find three of his sons pacing back and forth. “What is going on?”

Donatello stopped to look at him. “Leonardo is missing.”

Splinter raised a brow. “Missing?”

It was Raphael’s turn to stop. “Yes, Master. He should have been back hours ago and we haven’t heard from him.”

Michelangelo stopped to rub his stomach. “Yeah, and he was supposed to bring back dinner too.”

“Have you tried his turtle-com?” Splinter suggested.

“He’s not answering and it’s already dawn. We’re worried, Master.” Donatello said, his brothers nodding in agreement.

“Then you must go and search for him. I will attempt to reach him in meditation.”

Raphael started for the door. “Come on, fellas. We gotta find him.”

Splinter watched the three rush out of their home with a growing knot of worry in his stomach. Leonardo was the most dependable of his students. If he had not contacted anyone, there was sure to be something wrong. Returning to his room, he settled in to a meditative state in order to search for him.

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

“His turtle-com signal is this way.” Donatello held the tracker in front of him as he led the way up the street. “He should be right here.”

They stopped just inside an alley.  “Are you sure, Donatello? There ain’t nothing here except garbage cans and rats.”

“Hey, check it out!” Mikey pointed at something just behind a set of cans.

Donatello grasped it. “Leonardo’s trench-coat!” He reached into one of the pockets. “And his communicator.”

“And the pizzas!” Mikey knelt to pick up the four boxes. The pies inside were cold but unharmed.

Raph ignored Mikey in favor of Don. “Oh, great! Now how are we supposed to find him?”

“With the bio-meter in the van. I can use it to track his biological signature.” Donnie turned leading the way back to where they’d parked the van up the block.

Mikey opened one of the boxes and popped a slice into his mouth. Raph grimaced. “You know that’s been sitting in an alley with a bunch of rats and cockroaches for several hours, right?”

“So dude, it still tastes good.” Mikey mumbled with his mouth full.

Raph rolled his eyes as they climbed into the back of the van. Don settled at his computer console and began the tracking process. Finally, he frowned at the screen. Raph leaned over his shoulder. “What’s the matter? Did you find him?”

“Not exactly. There must be something wrong with my equipment.” Don muttered.

“Why? What’s it saying?”

“It says he’s right here with us.”

Mikey looked around them. “I don’t see him. Is he invisible or something?”

Raph groaned, palming his face. But Don remained ever patient. “No, Michelangelo. He’s not here. My computer must have a screw loose or something.”

“How accurate is it?” Raph still wasn’t willing to give up that quickly.

“It should be within feet.” Don frowned again, shutting off his computer. “I guess we’ll just have to do this the old fashioned way.”

Mikey stuffed another slice in his mouth. “How’s that?”

Raph took the pizzas from him and tossed them in the front seat. “By looking shell-brain.” He dragged him from the van and the three moved off to search the surrounding area.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo woke with a throbbing headache that echoed the throb in his leg. He opened his eyes slowly, feeling the soft sheetless mattress beneath him. The room around him was bleak and pretty empty. A small table and chairs took up what was most likely the kitchen area, while the daybed he was on was the only other substantial piece of furniture in the room. He could hear water running somewhere nearby. _Where am I? What happened?_ He rubbed his pounding head. He recalled getting into a scuffle, but not much after that.

A door opened and the young woman from the previous night appeared in a robe, her damp blonde curls, sticking to her face. She smiled a bit. “You’re awake. That’s good. I was worried when you passed out.”

“Where….where am I?”

“In my apartment.” She frowned, moving off into the kitchen to find a cup. She rinsed it well, before filling it with water. “I’m not surprised you don’t remember. You were pretty out of it.” She carried the cup over to him and he sat up to accept it.

“Thank you.” His eyes went to his bandaged leg, which now had a real gauze bandage on it. She’d had to use her t-shirt temporarily, until she could make it to the store for supplies. He touched the wrapping, which was as good as any Master Splinter might have done. “You did this?” She gave a small nod. “Again, thank you.” He frowned. “I don’t think I ever asked your name.”

“Samantha, but people usually call me Sams.”

Leo gave her a smile and offered his hand. “Leonardo.”

She took it with a lopsided grin. It was a rather silly gesture considering they’d spent most of the night together. Granted he had been out cold the majority of it. “Nice to meet you, Leonardo.” She gave a small giggle and his smile grew. “I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer you. But would you like some toast?”

He nodded. “Yes, please.” She rose and crossed the room to the tiny oven to put in a few slices of bread. He looked around at the sparse room. “Do you know what time it is? I should let my family know I’m alright.”

She glanced at her watch. “It’s ten-fifteen in the morning.” Leo’s frown returned and he tried to get up. She rushed back to the bed as he climbed to his feet. “You really shouldn’t get up yet! You’ll tear your stitches!”

He grunted. It hurt to put any weight on his leg. “I’ve been gone a long time. They’ll be worried. I need to call them.”

“Okay, but not yet. You’re still weak. And I need to put some clothes on.” Leo was about to protest when his leg gave out, Samantha caught him. “Easy.”

He opened his eyes to find her face very close to his own. He felt the blush rise. “Sorry.”

“See, I told you.” She eased him back onto the bed. “I can help balance you, but I’m afraid I’m not strong enough to carry you down to the payphone.” She gave him another small smile.

“You don’t happen to have a cellphone, do you?” He’d already checked his belt for his com and found it missing.

It was her turn to blush and look away. “No, I’m sorry.”

Leo looked around the room again. He noted the lack of personal affects. She was obviously poor – not much better off, if at all, than them. “I’m sorry to inconvenience you.”

Her head snapped up. “What! No!” She touched his hand making him look at her with a touch of surprise. “You are _not_ an inconvenience, Leonardo. You helped me out last night. That’s more than most would do in this city.”

He felt his heart skip a beat as their eyes met, blue to caramel. “It seems you have some pretty good moves though.”

She chuckled as she stood, heading back into the kitchen nook, leaving Leo feeling suddenly cold. “Yeah, I got some basic self-defense skills. Red insisted on it. Not that I thought it was a bad idea considering the neighborhood I grew up in.”

Leo sat back on the bare mattress to prop his leg up. “Who’s Red?”

“She’s kind of like my big sister. Her and my brother were good friends for a long time.” She pulled out the pan with the toast and frowned at it. “Um, I just have butter. Is that okay?”

Leo waved a hand dismissively. “That’s fine. I’ve lived off less.”

Her smile grew a little tight and her response was soft. “Yeah, me too.”

Seeing the subject was a little uncomfortable to her, he changed it. “I’ve been wondering something. You don’t seem scared of me.”

This elicited another chuckle from Samantha as she carried over the plate of toast and a chair from the table. “Why should I be?”

“Well…because I’m a turtle.”

She set the plate on the bed beside him and put a hand over her heart. “Oh! I didn’t realize! That’s why you’re green!”

Leo snorted, but he couldn’t suppress the grin at her feigned shock. “Okay, okay. But really why not?”

She shrugged, taking a slice of toast from the shared plate. “If you wanted to hurt me, you wouldn’t have bothered saving me.”

Leo’s expression grew serious as he reached across the small space between them to touch her shoulder. She had no idea what her easy acceptance meant to him. Even April had not accepted them so quickly. “Thank you, Samantha.”

She smiled. “Sams.”

He smiled as well. “Sams.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Leonardo’s spirit seems to indicate he is injured, but he does not seem to be in danger.” Splinter’s small image said over the turtle-com.

Donatello frowned back at him. “You’re sure, Master?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, I cannot provide you with more details.” Splinter said sadly.

“Thanks anyway, Sensei. It’s better than nothing.” Raph leaned close so he could be seen.

“We’ll call you back if we find anything.” Don said and hung up. “Well, if he is hurt. He couldn’t have gone far.”

Raph kicked an empty soda can on the ground. “But we’ve been looking for hours with nothing to show for it.”

“Dudes, I am wiped.” Mikey grumbled as they returned to the van still parked where they’d left it earlier that morning.

“Donatello, maybe you should try your tracker again.” Raph opened the back doors.

“Sure, why not?” Donnie climbed tiredly inside with Mikey and started hitting keys on the computer again. He sighed, slumping in his seat. “Sorry guys, it’s still saying he’s right here.”

“Maybe because he is. Maybe he’s been in this apartment building all day.” Both Don and Mikey turned to look at Raph, who was staring at something they couldn’t see.

Donnie couldn’t suppress the soft groan. Why did his brothers always start jumping to conclusions? “Why do you say that, Raphael?”

“Because he’s right there.” Raph pointed towards the sidewalk and then disappeared from sight. Don and Mikey jumped out of the van to stare at Leo leaning on a small curly haired woman as he climbed a small set of steps. Raph reached him first. “Leonardo! There you are! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Leo lit up at the sight of his brother. “Raphael! Guys! Boy, am I glad to see you. Sams was just going to help me down to the payphone, so I could call you.”

Donnie’s eyes automatically latched onto Leo’s injured Leg. “You’re hurt!” He hurried forward to take some of Leo’s weight.

“It’s okay. Sams patched it up for me.” Leo smiled down at her.

“But you still need to stay off it.” She ordered in a teasing tone.

Leo chuckled, his smile widening into a grin. “Yes, ma’am.”

Mikey peeked over the railing down the small set up steps at the apartment door. He glanced back at his brother casually leaning on the young woman. He lifted an eye-ridge. “So, you’ve been here…all night and all morning,” his gaze flickered to the Samantha, “with a girl?” Leo shot him a hard glare and Mikey put up his hands in a pacifying motion.

Don rolled his eyes and tugged Leo towards the van. “Michelangelo’s nosiness aside, exactly what happened last night?”

“Some guys jumped me.” Samantha provided as they eased Leo into the back of the van. “And Leonardo saved me.”

Leo’s smile returned. “And then she saved me.”

Raph was surprised that there wasn’t even a hint of embarrassment with those words. He watched the girl smile at his brother. “It was the least I could do.”

Raph patted the girl’s shoulder. “Thanks for looking after him, but we really need to be getting home. Master Splinter is worried.” Again, he was slightly surprised when she didn’t jerk away from his touch.

Instead, she nodded. “I understand. I have to work tonight anyways.”

 “Just try to keep away from dark alleys.” Leo smirked.

“That goes for you too.” She turned to Don. “Keep him off that leg or my patch job will come loose.”

“That’s easier said than done.” Don muttered as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

She smiled at Leo again. “Well, maybe we’ll see each other around.”

Leo’s smile wavered this time. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Thanks again, dudette!” Mikey hopped into the back followed by Raph.

“Sure, bye.” Samantha’s own smile wavered as well.

“Bye.” Leo gave a small wave as Raph pulled the doors closed. Samantha watched as the van drove away. She suddenly felt very alone, more alone than she ever had before.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Splinter was waiting for them as they entered, Leo supported by Raph and Mikey. “Leonardo, we were very concerned for your safety, my son?”

“I’m sorry, Master Splinter. I couldn’t reach a phone and I lost my turtle-com somewhere.” Leo explained a bit sheepishly.

“Oh, yeah, you mean this.” Donnie produced the device from his belt.

“Hey, you found it!” Leo smiled at his brother.

“Yeah, along with your trench-coat and our pizzas in that alley where you must have fought those thugs.” Don handed over the com. “Try to keep track of it this time.”

“I will, I promise.” Leo assured him.

Splinter was eyeing Leo’s leg. “Bring him here, so I may see the wound.” They followed their sensei to the couch where they helped Leo prop up his leg. Splinter raised a brow as he examined it. “This wrapping was done quite well.” He removed the outside bandage to look at the stiches that were on both sides of his leg. “And these sutras demonstrate skill and experience.”

Leo leaned forward to look at the wound himself. He hadn’t actually laid eyes on it yet. The dressing had seemed fresh and clean, so he’d let it be. Now, he smiled a bit to himself. “Sams, uh, I mean, Samantha wrapped it and stitched it for me. I don’t really remember much, except that a punk attacked me with an old rebar rod.” He touched the tender flesh where the tiny stitches were. “It went straight through.”

“This Samantha sounds intriguing. Is she a doctor of sorts?” Splinter turned Leo’s leg examining the damaged flesh.

For some reason, Leo felt himself blush. “Uh, no. Not really.”

Raph leaned over the back of the couch. “So, who is she exactly?”

Leo wasn’t sure he liked Raph’s suspicious tone. “She’s a friend, Raphael.”

“Maybe.” Don moved around so Leo could see him. “But what do you know about this girl?”

Splinter had just finished re-wrapping Leo’s leg in a clean bandage. Now, he sat up, glaring at two of his brothers. “I know enough.”

Don stepped closer. “Leonardo, you know we have to be cautious.” He frowned. “All I need is her full name and I can-“

“No!” The glare turned cold. “You are not doing a background check on her! That’s an invasion of her privacy! She helped me! I am not going to betray her like that, Donatello!”

“Look, if she ain’t got nothin’ to hide, then his search won’t pull up anything, will it?” Raph pointed out matter-of-factly.

Leo folded his arms with a scowl. “No. It’s not right. A million things could have happened to me out there last night. I lost a lot of blood and instead of leaving me there to die or fend for myself, she took me to her home, fixed me up, and let me sleep in her bed.” He looked away. “I don’t think she got a minute of sleep herself last night.”

Splinter sighed, resting a hand on Leo’s arm. “She may very well be an ally, but it is always wise to err on the side of cation, my son.”

Leo ground his teeth for a moment, his heart twisting and tumbling. He bit his lip, hating himself even as he spoke. “Riggs. It’s Samantha Riggs.”


	3. Taking a Chance

Leo stared blankly up at the ceiling in his alcove. He’d been berating himself for hours. _How could I do that! I should never have agreed to let Donatello dig into her past! It’s not right! Not after what she did for me._ Her face sprang unbidden in his mind’s eye. Soft blonde curls framed her round cheeks, and her bright blue eyes looked up at him without a hint of fear or disgust. She was breathtakingly beautiful. The sunlight dancing across her porcelain skin from the sole window in the tiny apartment. She was spunky and fragile, brave and breakable. She was something -someone- that needed to be protected and cherished.

“Leonardo?” Raphael approached the end of his bed. “I know you can’t do much, but would you want to watch the Zombies from Planet X with me?”

Leo sighed, turning onto his side. “No. I don’t feel like it.”

Raph frowned and was about to suggest something else to get his brother out of the funk he’d been in since they’d gotten home, but Donnie appeared with a folder in hand. “Hey, Donatello. I hope you have some good news for us.”

Donnie paused, looked down at the folder and then at Leo. His expression didn’t make Raph feel any better. Leo sat up slowly. He and Don exchanged a long quiet look, before he spoke. “I don’t want to know any details. Is she a threat or not?”

Don’s eyes held sadness not anger or fear. “No.” He said softly. “But I really think you should hear the rest.”

Leo shook his head and laid back down, hating himself even more for the intrusion into her life. “I told you she wasn’t an enemy.”

“She may not be, but her brother might be.” Don pointed out quietly.

Raph turned towards him. “What do you mean?”

“He ran with a gang on the lower east side for years. He’s got a rap sheet three miles long. Then he just up and disappeared one day.” Don explained.

“Disappeared?”

Don nodded. “Yeah, no one knows what happened to him. He was just gone. That was ten years ago.”

Raph frowned. “Since he used to hang with the gangs, do you think we might have run into him at some point?”

“It is possible, if he’s one of the bad ones.” Don said solemnly. He glanced at Leo, who was pretending to ignore them. “Leonardo, this girl she’s pretty damaged from what I’ve read.”

“I told you, I don’t want to hear it. She was kind to me. And she wasn’t scared, not even a little bit.”

Don sighed. “You’re right. Her past doesn’t matter. There’s nothing in it that would indicate she poses any kind of danger to us.” Don angled his head away from the bedrooms and Raph left with him to give their brother some peace.

But that was not what was happening in Leo’s head, but something far from it. Damaged? What had Donatello meant by damaged? He stared at the wall, not seeing it. _It doesn’t matter, how or who might have damaged her. Her spirit is so pure._ But then the second thought tugged at him. Her brother could have been in one of the gangs they’d fought? He was some sort of street thug, just like the ones he’d beaten up last night. It was hard to reconcile the sweet and innocent Samantha with a street punk. The two just didn’t make sense together. He pushed the thought away, marking it down to nothing. His gaze moved to the clock on his nightstand and he frowned. Samantha would be going to work soon and she’d have to walk back through the same neighborhood she’d gotten jumped in last night.

The sound of Mikey humming approached his alcove and Leo sat up a bit as the younger turtle started to cross the room. “Michelangelo?”

The turtle turned, pulling down his headphones. “Hey, bud. Do you need something?”

“Actually, yes, I do…”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Samantha looked at the empty apartment. The mattress on the daybed, which had been relatively new, had little speckles of dried blood on it. And the tiny table was scattered with the supplies she’d used to heal Leo’s injury. The pan she’d made the toast on sat empty on the counter. The apartment she’d been so excited to move into last night seemed suddenly lonely. Sighing, she went to the kitchen nook to straighten it up. She took up the bottle of chlorhexidine and the roll of gaze, putting them in an upper cabinet along with the fishing-line and needles. With friends like hers it was likely she’d have to use them again at some point.

She rinsed off the pan and put it up. Turning she saw the loaf of bread and frowned. She’d spent most of her sixty-five dollars on the medical supplies and the meager groceries. _Well, I’ve lived off less than a loaf of bread and peanut butter before._ She had only managed to afford a small tub of butter and some cheese as well. It would just have to work for the week. _No sheets right now though._ She shrugged. _I’ll just sleep in my clothes._ Glancing down at her watch, she decided to take a small nap before work.

Crawling into the small daybed, she closed her eyes. The smell of green peppers and herbs met her, bringing with it an image of Leonardo. She felt her heart ache with that same pain it had when he’d left with his brothers. She’d never felt this type of loneliness before and it baffled her. Drawing in a deep breath, she realized she missed him. They had only spent a few hours together, but his presence had felt so normal that it almost didn’t feel right for him not to be there.

Their conversations rolled through her mind and soon they turned to dreams. She woke a few hours later. Checking her watch, she sat up and ran her hand over the bare mattress, wondering if his scent would still be there when she returned home from work. _I hope he’s alright._

In short order, she’d changed and headed out the door just as the sky grew pink with dusk. Her job wasn’t anything to write home about, even if she’d had someone to write to. But it was stable work. She worked on a line at a factory in the packaging department. She’d been there for the last two months and she had to admit the walk was a lot shorter now. A mere five blocks compare to the usual ten was a nice break, especially since she hadn’t gotten much rest the previous night. Although, she had to cross through the same gang’s territory, she wasn’t worried. She had a feeling they wouldn’t bother her after the beaten they’d gotten.

It was five thirty in the morning when her shift ended. The old warehouse was hot and left her covered in a layer of sweat. She rubbed absently at her back as she started down the street. When someone stepped out of the shadows she nearly jumped. “Red! Sheesh, what are you trying to do! Give me a heart-attack!”

The older and larger woman scowled. “I should do more than that to you! What’s this business about you gettin’ jumped last night?”

Samantha groaned. “It was nothing.” Well, of course, she’d heard. News between gangs moved fast. She had to defuse the situation quickly before there was some sort of turf war. That was the last thing she needed right now. “Look, I’m fine.” She gestured at herself with a grin.

Red frowned. “You got a bruise on your cheek. I don’t count that as fine.”

Samantha’s hand went to her face. She hadn’t even thought about the bruise. “It doesn’t hurt.” She started up the street, Red falling into step beside her.

“And what’s this I hear about one of those green lizard things helpin’ you?”

“Turtles. They are turtles, Red. And yeah, he did help me out. Do you have a problem with that?”

Red wagged a finger at her. “Stay away from those freaks, Cupcake. They’re bad news, trust me.”

Samantha frowned as they reached her block. “Why? Just because they stop people from committing crimes.”

“Yeah, people like us.”

Samantha looked away as they stopped near her apartment. “Not like _us_. You’ve all made it clear to me that I’m not one of you.”

Red heaved a heavy sigh and dragged a hand down her face, before turning and taking the younger girl’s shoulders in her large hands. “Cupcake, you are one of us. We all just wanted better for you. You know that, right?” Samantha gave a slow nod. Red put a hand under her chin, making her meet her eyes. “Now, if anyone else bothers you, you’re gonna tell me right away. You hear me?”

Samantha gave another small nod. “Okay, Red.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Michelangelo, what are we doing here?” Raph complained as he sat on the edge of the roof overlooking the factory.

“Come on, Raphael, have a heart. Leonardo is worried she might get jumped again.” Mikey responded looking down at the street below.

“He does have a legitimate concern. The likelihood of the gang wanting retaliation is very high.” Donatello agreed.

“Yeah, and ol’ Leonardo can’t be here to keep an eye on her himself.” Mikey reminded them.

“So, you volunteered us.” Raph grumbled. “Great. So instead of watching TV in our nice damp sewer, we have to sit out here on this cold roof playing babysitter.”

“Well, we don’t have too much longer.” Donnie pointed to Samantha as she emerged from the factory and started up the block. The three brothers followed, keeping an eye on her. When a large red-headed woman came out of an alley they nearly sprang off the rooftop.

Raph put up a hand as he watched them. “Wait. Those two look like they know each other.”

Don nodded. “Yeah, they must be friends or something.”

They followed as the two women strolled down the street chatting. When they reached Samantha’s apartment the other woman left and she headed inside. Raph huffed. “Boy, Leonardo owes us for this. We have better things to do than to shadow this girl.”

“And exactly what would that be, Raphael? Watching the comedy channel?” Donnie asked sarcastically.

“Besides, now Leonardo can relax. His girl made it home safe and sound.” Mikey started to leave, but Raph blinked at him.

“His girl?”

Mikey shrugged. “Yeah, his girl.” His brothers stared at him blankly. “Come on, dudes, you can’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

Don gave a soft sigh. “Michelangelo, there might have been some attraction on Leonardo’s part. But we are turtles and she’s a human.”

The younger brother shrugged. “So?”

“So, she ain’t gonna have no interest in him.” Raph pointed out.

“But he likes her and I’m pretty sure she likes him too.” Mikey protested.

Don gave another sigh, trying to be gentle with his overly sensitive brother. “I’m sorry, Mikey, but it’s just not likely to happen. Now come on, let’s go home. I’m hungry and tired.”

Mikey frowned as his brothers started to leave. He glanced down at Samantha’s door. His brothers may be willing to dismiss this, but he wasn’t. He’d felt the pull between the two. It was definitely mutual.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

The week went by rather uneventful for Samantha, but each night that she returned home she was reminded of how small and lonesome her new place was. That is until she found a familiar van sitting outside her place when she got off for the weekend. She struggled to keep her pace even as she approached it. She couldn’t however, prevent her eyes from lighting up when a familiar head leaned out the window.

“Hey, Sams.” Leo’s smile was bright, making hers grow.

“Hey! How are you feeling?” She stopped beside the passenger window.

“A lot better. I’m almost all healed up.”

“Yep, he’s back to his grumpy, stick in the mud self.” Raph commented from the driver’s seat.

Samantha giggled. “That’s good to know.” Her gaze shifted back to Leo. “I’m glad you came by. I was a little worried about you.”

Leo’s eyes shined. “Really?” She nodded, her cheeks tinting a slight pink which was graciously hard to see on the dark street. “Well, I do have a bit of a confession to make. I didn’t just come by to say hi.”

She lifted a blonde brow. “Oh?”

The back doors opened on the van and Mikey appeared with a small dresser. “Yeah, Leonardo told us you’d just moved in. We had a few things around our place we weren’t using and thought you might want them.”

Samantha’s mouth hung open as Leo eased himself out of the cab. She shook her head. “Oh, no…I couldn’t…”

Leo put a hand on her shoulder. “Really, it’s fine. We weren’t using these things anyways.”

Her blush grew to a very noticeable state now. “Thank you.”

“So, how about we take this stuff in.” Donnie appeared with a small television tucked under his arm.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” She hurried down the steps to unlock her door. Mikey followed her in first, setting the small dresser across from the daybed. He looked around as Donnie appeared and sat the TV on top. She smiled at the two brothers. “Thank you, um…”

“I’m Michelangelo.” Mikey grinned. “And this here’s Donatello.”

“Sorry,” Leo stepped into the small apartment. “I guess I kind of forgot the introductions last time.”

Raphael appeared with a box and Mikey pointed at him. “And that’s Raphael.”

“It’s nice to meet you all. I’m Samantha, but I suppose Leonardo has already told you that.” She moved around to pull out a chair at the small table. “Here, sit down.” She gestured for Leo to sit and to the others surprise he did. Raph set the box on the table and she frowned at it. “What’s this?”

“Just a few odds and ends. I know it’s not much but we all wanted to thank you for helping me the other night.” Leo watched as she opened the box slowly and stared at the sheets and towels.

She looked away, shamefully. “Um, thank you. I just haven’t had a chance to get any yet.” She was very conscious of the fact that her mattress was still bare. Leo’s hand landed on top of hers, but he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure what _to_ say. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her.

Mikey decided to break the awkward silence. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but all that work made me thirsty.” He strolled over and opened the small refrigerator.

“Michelangelo!” Leo admonished. This wasn’t there home. His brother was being rude.

But Mikey didn’t answer right away. When he slowly turned to his brother, revealing the nearly empty fridge, his gaze was sad. But Mikey being Mikey, he quickly shut the door and plastered on a big smile. “You know, actually I’m pretty hungry. How about I go grab us some pizzas. Is that okay, dudette? You don’t mind us hanging out a bit, do you?”

Samantha smiled weakly, though her words were genuine. “No, of course not. You just brought me a ton of stuff. I’d love for you to hang out for a while.”

It wasn’t long before they had a stack of pizzas and were scattered around the small room chatting. The guys found Samantha to be just as kind as Leo had described. She seemed as comfortable with them as their longtime friend April did. She smiled and laughed, blushing when Leo wiped some tomato sauce off her cheek. When he frowned at the bruise, she’d brushed it off as nothing. The mark had already faded quite a bit over the week. It was late morning when the others finally suggested going home. They’d been shadowing Samantha home nearly every night that week, just to make sure. Now as they filed out the door, they were all three glad they had. She was definitely a unique individual.

Leo paused in the doorway as the others climbed into the van. He shifted a bit nervously. “Sams, I was wondering. Would you maybe want to…I don’t know, go do something sometime? Just the two of us.” He blushed, not daring to meet her eyes.

“You know what?” He lifted his head a little to find her smiling at him. “I’d really like that.”

He beamed. “Really?”

She giggled. “Yeah.”

“Come on, Leonardo!” Raph called from the van.

He smiled at her. “See you then.” He hurried up the steps, but her voice stopped him at the top.

“Leonardo?” He turned back to look at her. “How about later tonight?”

He grinned. “I’ll be by around nine then.”


	4. Where the Blame Lays

Samantha put away the left over pizza, noting that there were two full pizzas left. She smiled sadly to herself. It would have been impossible for Leonardo’s brother Michelangelo not to have noticed that the only thing in her fridge was butter. She had planned on going shopping at some point, but she hadn’t yet. A good three-fourths of her paycheck had to be saved to pay rent. The remaining fifty dollars was what she’d live on for the week. So, the left over pizza really was a blessing. One she’d be sure to return to Michelangelo whenever she got the chance. Sighing softly, she found the sheets that were in the box. They were worn and thread-bare but they were clean, a far better option than the bare mattress. As she dressed the bed and prepared for sleep, a memory floated across her mind.

**_-Flashback-_ **

Little Samantha trotted behind her brother. “Joey, I’m hungry and it’s cold out here. Can’t we find somewhere inside to sleep tonight?”

“I know! I know!” Joey bit his lip, not daring to look at the gaunt face of his little sister. He’d promised to take care of her, but so far he hadn’t done a very good job. They were starving and freezing. He heard her cough and couldn’t help but look this time. “You okay, Sams?”

She coughed again and noticed his worried expression. She smiled. “I’m fine, I promise.”

He frowned. They needed to eat or she’d really get sick soon. They were in the restaurant district, but it was late and some places were closed. They’d been eating out of dumpsters for weeks, but Sams hadn’t taken well to it. Her stomach just wasn’t built to handle that sort of thing. He sighed, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her off into an alley. He wedged her behind a dumpster. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”

She’d waited as he’d told her. A little while later she heard shouting on the street and people running. When it had quieted down a bit, Joey reappeared with a to-go bag from a nearby deli. He handed it to her. “Here, eat up.” He smiled encouragingly and she opened the bag.

Inside were several hot sandwiches. She looked back up at him, knowing full well they didn’t have the money to buy hot food. “Where did you get them?”

He shrugged. “It don’t matter.”

She frowned. “You stole them?”

“Look, are you hungry or not?” He said a bit roughly, then sighed when her bottom lip trembled slightly. “Ain’t nobody gonna miss one bag of food. I know you’re hungry. Just eat, okay?” He folded his arms and looked away.

She looked into the bag and then at her brother. He would do anything for her and she knew it. So, it was her job to take care of him too. “Okay, but you have to eat one too.” She pulled out one of the sandwiches and handed it to him.

He smiled slightly, taking the food. “Okay, Cupcake. It’s a deal.”

**_-End of Flashback-_ **

Samantha opened her eyes to find the dim light of dusk creeping through her window. She couldn’t recall falling asleep, but she must have. Glancing at her watch, her eyes bulged. Was it really that late! She made a mad dash for the shower. She was still covered in a layer of dried sweat, and her arms were still marked with dust and dirt from packing all night. She made sure the shower only lasted about five minutes and then scrambled for clothes. That was something else she was going to have to deal with in the next few days. She’d already had to wash her four sets of clothes once this week. And with the loss of one of her t-shirts, sacrificed for a good cause mind you, she was going to have to go shopping. Which would only put more strain on her already stretched budget.

Sighing, she pulled down the white long-sleeved scoop neck with little blue rhinestones on the collar.  All her errands would just have to wait until later. Right now she needed to get ready.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

“Are you _crazy_?” Raph asked with as much emphasis he could on the “crazy” part. “She’s a human.”

“Gee, thanks Raph. I didn’t notice.” Leo pulled on his boot, doing his best to ignore his brother. He’d chosen one of their more relaxed disguises – a light jacket over a button-up shirt with jeans and boots.

“I think it’s awesome, bro!” Mikey grinned like a wild thing. “You know she is pretty cute.”

Leo shot him a quick smile. “Thanks, Michelangelo.”

Donnie leaned on the back of the couch, shaking his head. “I still can’t believe you asked her out.”

“And I still can’t believe she said yes.” Raph’s eye-ridges wiggled in confusion.

Leo put on a baseball cap. “Well, she did. Now I have to go. I told her I’d meet her at nine.”

Don stood a little straighter. “You’re not planning on walking are you?” Leo shrugged and Don frowned. “Your leg is still healing, Leonardo. If you use it too much, you’ll just damage it more. Why don’t you take the van?”

“No, I don’t plan on walking that much. And if we have to go far, we can take a cab.” Leo started for the door but Splinter stopped him.

“Leonardo.”

“Yes, Master?”

“I trust you will keep your turtle-com on you this time?”

Leo blushed a bit. “Yes, Master. I’ve got it right here in my pocket.” He patted the bulge.

“Very well, have fun, my son.” The old rat gave him a little wink as Leo left. He hoped with everything he was that his turtles would find happiness in all things and that included love. After Leo’s crush on the beautiful but aloft Lotus Blossom, Splinter hadn’t been so sure his son would make another attempt at a relationship and it warmed his heart to see that he was willing enough to try.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Samantha had just finished brushing her hair when there was a knock at the door. Little butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she hurried to open it, her anticipation outweighing the nervousness. She smiled up at Leo, the light purple of the quickly darkening sky behind him. “The baseball cap is a nice touch.”  She teased with a grin.

He chuckled and fiddled with the brim. “People get nervous when they see a six-foot turtle, so we try to dress normal out in public.”

“They just don’t know what they’re missing out on.” She gave a wink that made him laugh again. Pulling the door closed, she stepped out beside him. “So, what did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking maybe some dinner and a walk in the park.” He gestured north of them. “There’s a small one a few blocks from here.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I know the one. But do you think we could do the walk first, I’m still stuffed from earlier.”

Leo smiled as he climbed the steps to the sidewalk. “Yeah, sorry about that. Michelangelo can go a bit overboard at times.”

She fell into step beside him. “The gesture was very sweet though.”

He looked away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “It’s alright. I know it must look like I’m as poor as a church mouse, but it’s better than crashing in abandon buildings or sleeping behind dumpsters.”

They’d made it to the park and Leo gestured to a bench. His leg was starting to throb a bit and he needed to rest it. They settled down together and he frowned at the distant look in her eyes. “You were homeless before?”

She gave a small nod, not meeting his gaze. “Yeah, more or less.”

His frown intensified. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

She shrugged. “Aw, it wasn’t all that bad. I had my brother. He took care of me.”

“Your brother?” Don had said he was a gang member, but Leo just couldn’t see the young woman beside him being related to a street thug.

She smiled, finally meeting his eyes. “His name is Joey.” She gave a little laugh. “You might have had some run-ins with him. He tends to hang with the wrong people.” She sighed softly, dropping her eyes to her hands. “But it really isn’t his fault it’s mine. He only started breaking the law to take care of me.”

Leo wrapped his hand around hers. “You can’t blame yourself for that.”

She shook her head. “I can, because it’s true. We were still young when we left home. He just didn’t know how else to do things. He stole food for us and clothes, and he broke into places in the winter. Just so I’d have somewhere warm to sleep. He was a good kid before we ended up on the streets. He only did the things he did for me.”

Leo brushed a curly blonde lock behind her ear, causing her to look up at him. His gaze was full of tenderness. “He wanted to protect you. I can understand that.”

She smiled softly, relishing the gentle touch. “Leonardo, do you think you might have seen him? He’s been missing for a while.”

Leo frowned. “Even if I have, I wouldn’t have known it was him. Does he look like you?”

She shook her head sadly. “No, not much. He’s a lot taller, probably closer to your height and he had short blonde hair the last time I saw him. But that was ten years ago.”

He frowned again. Her description could fit any number of punks he’d beaten up in his time. “I’m sorry, Sams, but that just doesn’t give me much to go by.”

She sighed again. “Yeah, well, it was just a thought.” The wind blew and she shivered a bit. Without thinking she snuggled into Leo’s side. His heart raced as she tucked herself affectionately against him. Slowly he wrapped his arm around her. She didn’t say anything, just closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder.

After a few minutes, he noticed her shiver. “Are you cold?”

“Just a little.” She admitted softly, but didn’t move otherwise.

He frowned and sat up reluctantly. “Here.” He pulled off his light jacket and put it around her shoulders.

Her smile was bright. “Thanks.” His was just as bright when she snuggled back into him.

They sat for a while in companionable silence, until he felt her fingers touch his now exposed forearm. He watched in fascination as she dragged her fingers up and down his arm, creating goosebumps on his leathery flesh. “What are you thinking?”

Her expression held genuine confusion when she looked up at him. He swallowed hard, wondering if she might reject him now that she had a good look at him. But her response had his heart skipping a beat. “I don’t understand why people are scared of you, when there isn’t anything scary about you. You’re really quite beautiful.” She giggled at the face he made. “Okay, maybe handsome is a better word.”

Leo smiled wistfully. “Humans don’t like what isn’t just like them. It’s usually only the mad scientist type that want to dissect that hunt us down, or the occasional odd fan of April’s newscasts that find us fascinating.”

Samantha lifted her head with a lopsided grin. “Are you calling me odd, Leonardo?”

He blushed and sputter for a second, until she snickered. He chuckled with a smile, his caramel eyes bright. “Maybe,” he stroked her cheek with a callused thumb, “but odd in your case is a good thing.” She blushed, catching his hand and squeezing it. He returned the gentle pressure. “You hungry yet?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Come on, I know a place not far from here.” He stood, offering her his hand. She took it, but didn’t release it as they started to walk down the street again.

Noticing his slight limp, she was reminded of his injury. “How’s your leg?”

He shrugged. “Like I said it’s almost healed now. But I did kind of promise Donatello, I wouldn’t walk on it too much.”

“The stiches should be ready to come out soon. I could do it for you, if you want.” She shifted a little closer, wrapping her arm through his.

Leo smiled down at her. “Well, you did do a great job on it so far. And I’d bet your bedside manner is a whole lot better than my brother’s.” She laughed as they rounded the corner into her old neighborhood. She frowned as they approached an all-night café. She knew the owner and the food. And neither was all that pleasant. Leo stopped near the door, but she caught his hand as he reached for it. He frowned at her. “What’s the matter?”

“I know this area. Only people that don’t live here eat at this place.” She glanced across the street. “I’ve got a better idea. Come on.”

He couldn’t help but grin as she took his hand and pulled him across the street to a dingy looking door. An unlit sign hung above it that read _Corner Pub_. But Samantha pulled the door open and voices broke onto the silent street. He stared around as they stepped inside. To one side was a bar with stools and to the other were several tables with chairs.

“Cupcake!” A male voice called over the hum of the others.

“Glasses!” Leo watched as Samantha grinned and strolled over to the bartender. He followed after her a bit wary.

“Hey, kid. Where you been hindin’ yourself?” The bartender was already pulling out a coke bottle from somewhere.

“Just been working.”

The man laughed and jerked a thumb at the remainder of his bar. “You’re doin’ better than this lot.” Samantha chuckled as Leo came to stand beside her. The bartender eyed him. “Is there somethin’ I can help you with fella?”

She waved a hand at the man. “He’s fine, Glasses. He’s with me. We dropped in for a bite.”

Glasses made a face at Leo, who folded his green arms across his chest and straightened a bit. He dropped his gaze back to Samantha, handing her two bottles of soda. “The usual?”

She grinned. “Yep, but make it two.” She held up two fingers and winked. Glasses chuckled and walked off, while Sams led Leo over to one of the tables.

“Cupcake?” Leo teased as they sat down.

She smiled. “Nobody around here goes by their real name.” She shrugged. “My brother used to call me that. I guess it stuck. Didn’t your brothers ever give you nicknames?”

Leo snorted. “Raphael likes to call me Fearless sometimes.”

She laughed. “I could see that after the other night.”

“Oh, haha.” He grinned. “Laugh it up, _Cupcake_.”

She snickered, popping the top off her bottle and taking a swig. Just then the door opened and two men strolled in. They ordered some drinks and one turned in their direction. He frowned as he started towards them. He looked from one to the other, his eyes latching onto Leo. “This green freak botherin’ you, Cupcake.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “No, Lugnut. We’re actually on a date.” She boldly took Leo’s hand in hers. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

The other man had joined them, glaring daggers at Leo. “Red, know about this?”

She glared back at him. “No, she doesn’t. It ain’t none of her business either.”

Leo watched the two men, keeping his gaze cool and even. “Maybe we should go, Sams.”

He pushed back from the table, but she didn’t move, only continued her glaring match with them. “No, we don’t have to go anywhere. Beat it you two. We were trying to have a nice dinner.”

“No way, Cupcake. We promised your brother we’d keep an eye on you.” Lugnut leaned on the table, pinning Leo with a death glare. “And you hangin’ with this freak, ain’t gonna cut it.”


	5. Breaking Boundaries

“I’m not a kid anymore!” Samantha stood, going toe-to-toe with the large man.

Lugnut snorted. “Don’t matter. I’m still gonna watch out for you.”

She flicked her gaze to the other man. “That might be what you’re doing, but it’s not what he is.”

Lugnut stood up and looked at his companion. “What she talkin’ about Highfive?”

“She’s just mouthin’ off.” Highfive waved it off.

“Yeah, right. Why do you think Red won’t let him come around anymore?” Samantha sat back in her chair, blue eyes piercing.

Lugnut’s eyes widened and he snatched the front of Highfive’s shirt. “What did you do!” When the other man’s eyes flicked to Sams, he growled. “You made a pass at her! I ought to rip your head off! We all agreed, she’s off limits!” He smacked him around and shoved him towards the door. “I better not see your ugly mug around here again!” He turned furious eyes on Samantha. “As for you-!” He went to grab her arm, but Leo was out of his seat, growling.

“Don’t even think about touching her! Or I’ll make you eat that hand!”

The two males locked gazes, until Samantha stood beside Leo. She stroked his arm. “It’s okay. He wouldn’t hurt me, Leonardo.”

He blinked down at her. “What?”

“He’s kind of like another big brother. After my brother disappeared, I lived with him and Red for a long time.”

Glasses appeared with two paper bags. “Here, I thought you might want to take these to go.”

Sams smiled at him as she took the bags. “Thanks, Glasses.”

Lugnut folded his arms and looked away. “Why didn’t you tell me, Sams? I woulda-“

“You would’ve killed him. And he’s your friend. I couldn’t let you do that.” She replied softly.

“Yeah, well, your brother was too and he left you for me to take care of.”

She sighed and leaned up to peck his cheek. “I know. If you want details, ask Red. See you around Lugnut.” She turned and started for the door.

Leo paused beside Glasses. “What do I owe you?”

Glasses shook his head. “Cupcake’s money ain’t no good here and that means, neither is yours.” With that he turned and walked away.

Leo started for the door, but Lugnut put a hand on his chest. “If you hurt her, Freak. I will pound you into a puddle of goo. You understand?”

“I don’t plan on it.” Leo pulled away and met Samantha near the door. The walk back to her apartment was rather quiet. Until he took a deep breath, bracing himself as he asked the question that was burning in his mind. “What happened?”

“He asked me out. I refused. He didn’t like the answer.” She said flatly. They had reached her door and she handed him the bags in order to dig out her keys. But he caught her hand, making her look up into intense caramel eyes, filled with deep worry.

“What happened?” He repeated in as soft a tone as he could manage.

Her heart quickened at his gaze, truly touched by his concern. “Nothing happened. I didn’t let it. But we both learned a valuable lesson that day.” Leo frowned as she continued. “Him that I ain’t so easily taken advantage of. And me, that I can never let my guard down, even around people that say they’re friends.”

Leo’s expression dropped into one of sorrow. “Does that mean you don’t trust me?”

She unlocked the door and looked up at him. “Of course not. You’ve already earned my trust more than once.” She took the bags from him with a small smile. “Now come on. I’ll warm these up.”

He followed her in and locked the door behind them. “What is it anyways?”

“Burgers and wings.” She pulled them out and set them on the pan. It wouldn’t take long for them to warm in the oven.

Leo pulled out a chair at the small table. “That guy Glasses said something weird before we left.”

Samantha chuckled. “He told you to forget the tab.”

Leo watched her as she put the food in the oven. “Yeah, why?”

“I worked out a deal with him and Lugnut a few years ago. At the time Lugnut’s gang was demanding protection money from all the local shops. I set it up so that Glasses didn’t have to pay, but he’d have to let Lugnut drink whatever he wanted when he came in.”

“That’s still wrong.” Leo protested as she sat across from him. “It’s still forcing the guy to pay.”

Samantha didn’t seem fazed by his point. “Maybe, but considering he was paying two hundred in protection money and he only had to get Lugnut drunk every once in a while. It probably saved him a lot of money in the end. Plus, now him and Lugnut are friends. So, everyone sorta won.” Leo frowned, but couldn’t find an argument against what she’d done. After all it wasn’t her forcing the protection money in the first place. “As for the burger and wings. I never really asked him to do that. He just did. I suppose it’s his way of thanking me.” She chuckled as she rose to pull the tray from the oven. “Joey used to love his burgers.” As she lifted the pan with the small towel, it twisted and she burned her finger on the hot metal. “Ow!” She dropped the pan on top of the stove with a small clang.

Leo was out of his chair and at her side so fast that she blinked in surprise. He took her hand and put it under the cold running tap. She watched as he turned her hand, examining the small burn. It wasn’t that bad. “Does that feel better?”

She blushed. “Yeah.”

He lifted her hand and kissed the injured finger. Her blush turned a dark red and he smirked. “You need to be more careful.”

She nodded mutely, lost in the tenderness of his touch and the intensity of his eyes. She finally managed to croak out his name. “Leonardo…”

His gaze softened and a tinge of trepidation entered it. “I…” He started to pull away, afraid he’d overstepped his bounds. The sudden desire to kiss him swamped her and she grabbed his shirt front pulling him down to her. Leo was surprised when she pressed her soft lips against his, then instinct took over and he wrapped her tightly in his arms. The kiss was unfamiliar and yet thoroughly familiar. It sent heat pulsing through his body like hot lava.

When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. “Wow…”

She panted softly. “Ditto.”

For a long moment they stood, wrapped in each other’s arms. Neither wanted to move, basking in the moment. Finally, she stepped back to look up at him. “Are you ready to eat?”

He smiled warmly, brushing a curly lock from her eyes. “Yeah. Then maybe we can watch a movie.”

She frowned. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any movies. To tell the truth, I haven’t even turned the TV on yet.”

He chuckled. “Sure you do. There were some in the bottom of that box with the sheets.”

She blinked. “There were?”

He reluctantly released her to pick up the box that was sitting on the floor nearby and set it on the table. He pulled out three VHS tapes. “We’ve got _It Came from the Lake_ , _The Jelly Monster_ , and _The Mummy Monkey_.”

She grinned. “I haven’t seen any of them. So, your choice.”

He reviewed the titles again and held up one. “ _It Came from the Lake_ it is then.”

She chuckled as she turned to pull out some plates. After their small dinner, they sat on the daybed watching the movie. Samantha snuggled up against him and he rested his cheek in her soft curls. It felt so natural being with her, like he’d done it a million times before. “We should have done this to begin with.”

She giggled. “I second that.”

By the time the credits began to play, she was half-asleep, a small smile on her lips. It nearly broke his heart to wake her, but he needed to get home before they started searching for him again. “Sams?”

She sat up, rubbing at her eyes. “Oh, Leonardo, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

He grinned. “It’s okay. I kind of liked it.” Then he sighed. “But I’ve got to go. It’s late.” He stood and she followed him to the door. “But maybe I could come by tomorrow and you can take those stitches out?”

She smiled back. “Sure, but I do have a few errands to run tomorrow.”

“Do you need any help?”

“Nah, I’ve been on my own a long time. I can handle laundry and groceries. Oh, I almost forgot - your jacket!” She started to pull it off, but he put his hands over hers, tucking it around her.

“Keep it.” He leaned down and she met his lips in a warm, tender kiss that made her knees want to turn to mush. One arm wrapped around her waist and his other hand dug into her mass of curls. For a lingering moment, it felt like their hearts were beating as one. He gently broke away. “Goodnight, Sams.”

She wore something between a frown and a smile as he stepped out the door. “Goodnight, Leonardo.”

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Leo hung up his cap with a contented sigh and began unbuttoning his shirt. “So, you finally made it home?” He turned to see his brothers standing behind him.

“Yeah.” He smiled at Raphael who only frowned back.

Mikey had a large dopey grin in place. “Well, don’t leave us hanging bro. How’d it go?”

Leo pulled off his shirt, noting that it smelled like vanilla like Samantha’s hair. “Good.” He smiled remembering their kiss. “Really good.”

Donnie lifted a brow. “Define really good?”

“Yeah, does that mean first base, second or third?” Mikey continued to grin.

Leo frowned at his youngest brother. “Do you even know what that means, Michelangelo?”

“Yeah, it means-“

Leo waved a hand. “Uh, never mind.” He really had no desire to hear whatever odd ideas his brother might have about girls.

“So, do you think she’s really into you?” Raph asked after a moment.

Leo had removed the rest of his disguise, but he kept the shirt out. “Yeah, I do.”

Raph scowled. “Why?”

Leo shot him a glare. “Not that it’s any of your business, but she kissed me.”

All three brothers stared at him in shock and maybe a touch of awe. Raph however, wasn’t done with him just yet. “She kissed you? You didn’t kiss her?”

Leo couldn’t help the smirk. “Not the first time.”

Mikey clung to Donnie’s arm. “You mean there was a second time?”

Leo smiled to himself as he walked away with the shirt in hand. “Boy, was there ever….”

When he was gone, Raph snorted. “She’s probably just stringin’ ‘im along.”

Don turned to glare at him. “What’s your problem, Raphael? Can’t you see he’s happy?”

“I thought you were smarter than that, Donatello. Can’t you see he’s fallen head over heels for her? She’s gonna make him think she loves him and then dump the poor guy. It’s one thing making friends with the humans, but it’s another to want to be with them.”

“And what is wrong with that?” Don looked away forlornly. “What’s wrong with wanting to be in love with someone…even if it is a human?”

Raph folded his arms. “Because we’re turtles.”

Donnie shook his head and walked off to his lab. Mikey frowned at Raph. “That argument is as old as a moldy slice of pizza, bro.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I’m with Donatello and Leonardo on this one. I don’t see anything wrong with it. If it makes our bro happy, then I’m all for it.”

Leo sat on the side of his bed. Lifting the shirt to his nose, he drew in a deep breath. He smiled. Even Raphael’s bad attitude couldn’t bring him down tonight. He lay back with a slight pang of loneliness in his heart. The only thing that gave him solace was the thought of seeing her the next day. He rolled over closing his eyes and dreaming of soft hands and silky lips.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Raph glanced around as he crossed the living room. He could hear his brothers eating breakfast, their morning workout complete. He moved quietly to his father’s door, uncertain if he should bother him. Splinter was often meditating at this time. He stood fidgeting for a moment, but not making a sound.

“Come in, Raphael.”

Raph glanced back towards the kitchen, feeling the tug of guilt. With a sigh, he stepped into the room. “I’m sorry to bother you, Master Splinter.”

“It is quite alright. Your soul seems troubled, my son.” Splinter poured a cup of tea for each of them.

“Yes, Sensei. I’m worried about Leonardo and his relationship with this girl.”

“I have not spoken with Leonardo about such affairs as of yet. What is your concern?” Splinter took a tentative sip of his tea.

“I’m afraid he’s falling too fast and too hard for her. I’m afraid he’s going to get hurt.” Raph slowly picked up his cup and looked down into swirling liquid.

“It is the nature of all relationships that one runs the risk of an emotional injury, my son. Leonardo knows this well enough.”

Raph shook his head. “You didn’t see him last night. This is nothing like what he felt for Lotus Blossom. He’s in deep. And the guys are just encouraging him.”

“What exactly is your issue with his desire to pursue love, may I ask?”

“Well, for one thing she’s human.”

“Ah, I see.” Splinter set down his cup, understanding the dilemma at last. “You are concerned that because of your differences she will not fully accept him.” Raph gave a small nod. “Your situation is unique in some ways, but not in others.”

Raph’s brow bunched in confusion. “How so?”

“There have always been prejudices based on skin color or language or even on the region of a country one lives in. But there have always been those that have been able to look past such differences – to embrace those things that are different than one’s self.”

“But how can we be sure she’s one of those people?”

Splinter smiled patiently. “You have met the young woman. I have not. What is your impression of her?”

“She seems genuine. She was pretty nice when we stopped by the other day.” Raph admitted. “But…”

“Perhaps, if I were to meet with her, it would stem your concerns.” Splinter suggested.

Raphael brightened at the suggestion. “That’s a great idea, Master.”

“Then I suggest, Leonardo invite her to our home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get complicated for poor Leo...


	6. Meetings

Samantha yawned as she strolled down the sidewalk. Working third shift meant that she was exhausted when everyone else was wide awake. Which usually made her look cranky, which in turn made people leave her alone. She preferred it that way though. She didn’t like the noisy crowded streets of the daytime. She much preferred the dark. Her hand absently rose to her lips. And now she had a new reason to like the night. A smile crossed her face as she stopped at a crosswalk.

Up the street away she could see several teens shoving around another one. It angered her and she wished she had time to intervene. However, she didn’t. She was already running late and the bank would be sure to close if she didn’t hurry. When the light changed she hurried across the street, turning her back on the teens.  A memory flashed in her mind of another set of teens.

**_-Flashback-_ **

“Give us all your money!” The punk gripped the front of Joey’s shirt, half hauling him off the ground.

“I-I don’t have any money!” Joey protested with big eyes.

“Give it to us or we’ll take the girl instead.”

“No! Leave her alone!” Joey started to fight, while Samantha cowered against the alley wall. Although Joey was taller than the other boy, he was extremely slim and didn’t have much power behind him.

“You Hawks are in the wrong hood.” Someone said from up the alleyway. Everyone turned to the newcomer, who was backed by six more thugs.

“It’s Lugnut and his crew!” One of the guys near Joey shouted.

“Let’s get out of here!” The third guy yelped as he took off. He was quickly followed by the guy holding Joey’s shirt.

Lugnut strolled up to the two and Joey backed up against Samantha, shielding her from view with his taller form. His eyes narrowed. “Stay away from her!”

The teen with a tuff of unruly blonde hair grinned at Joey. “You know you’ve got some spirit, kid. You might even be a force to fear, if you put some meat on those bones. We could help you with that. All you got to do is join our gang. Then punks like that won’t bother you.”

Joey frowned. “You’d protect us?”

“Yep.”

“My sister too?” Joey asked suspiciously.

“Sure, why not.” Lugnut looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Jersey Red.”

“Yeah?” The red-head lumbered to the front of the group.

He gestured at Samantha peeking around her brother’s shoulder. “Don’t say I never gave you nothin’.” Lugnut grinned at Joey. “She’ll be well taken care of. Now, what do you say kid?”

“Alright.” Joey gave a nod. He had to get them off the streets and if these guys could do it, then he was all for signing up.

“What’s your name kid?”

“Joey.”

Lugnut put an arm around his shoulders. “We’ll have to change that. Nobody’s scared of a Joey.”

**_-End of Flashback-_ **

Samantha sighed as she reached the front door of the bank. She had to cash her check before she could do anything else. There was a fair sized line ahead of her. She glanced at her watch. It was already getting late and she’d hoped to get her errands done early, so she could spend the evening with Leonardo again. Closing her eyes, she could almost feel the caress of his thumb on her cheek.

“You gonna move up, lady.” Grumbled a voice behind her. She turned to see a portly man with a grungy beard glaring at her.

She ground her teeth and shot the man an annoyed look over her shoulder. Creeps like him were the reason she hated coming out in the daytime. She shuffled forward barely a foot and had to stop again. Over the murmur of customers, the door chimed as someone new entered. Samantha didn’t bother to look as she figured it was just another slob wanting to catch the bank before it closed.

Suddenly, gunfire struck the ceiling overhead and the man behind her stumbled forward. She didn’t have time to react as she fell, striking her head on the metal post that kept the line in order. The room fell away from her as darkness consumed her.

“Alright, everybody down! Nobody move!” Rocksteady shouted, swinging around his gun.

“Yeah, or we’ll put holes in ya! Ya got that!” Bebop turned to a woman at the register and tossed her a bag. “Fill it up! Now!”

The cashier scrambled to do as she was told. “Y-Yes sir.”

Rocksteady surveyed the room of civilians spread out like a blanket on the floor and spotted the security guard going for his sidearm. He moved forward kicking it out of the man’s hand. “Don’t try to be a smart guy. Got it?”

The guard swallowed. “Got it.”

“Don’t do nothin’ stupid and nobody’ll get hurt.” Rocksteady told the living carpet of bodies. There was movement as a curly blonde pulled herself to her knees. She looked a bit disoriented, a small cut on her forehead bleed lightly. Slowly she turned to fully look at him and his heart skipped a beat. When she met his gaze, she squinted at him. He quickly averted his eyes. “Alright, let’s go!” He told Bebop.

“Come on!” Bebop yanked the bag from the cashier. He snorted as they backed out of the bank. “Sorry for the inconvenience folks. Have a nice day.” Then the two were running down the sidewalk out of sight.

Samantha blinked after them. _His eyes…_

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Raph was flipping the channels lazily when his turtle-com chirped. He smiled at their old friend. “Hey, April. What’s up?’

“I just got a report that two men wearing a rhino and warthog masks just robbed the First City Bank.”

Raph frowned. “That sounds like Bebop and Rocksteady. It’s been a while since those two have poked their heads out. We’ll check it out.”

“I’m on my way there now. I’ll meet you there.”

“Will do, April.” He closed the com and jumped over the back of the couch. “Hey, guys!” Don appeared from his lab as Leo and Mikey came from the dojo. “Looks like Rocksteady and Bebop are taking up bank robbing now. Come on. April is going to meet us there.”

Within moments they were in the van speeding through the streets. “I don’t get it. Why would those two suddenly take up bank robbery? It’s not their MO.” Mikey questioned as he hung onto the seat.

“Yeah, and why are they suddenly showing up now?” Donnie mused. “We haven’t seen them in several years.”

“It doesn’t matter. They are committing a crime, therefore we need to find them and stop them.” Leo said firmly.

Raph snorted. “Those two are practically harmless, Leonardo. They barely have a brain cell between the two of ‘em.”

“They’re still criminals, Raphael. And they could still be working for the Shredder.” Leo pulled the van to a stop outside the First City Bank, just as April was wrapping up her on-the-spot report.

They climbed out of the van as people slowly started coming out of the bank. Leo’s heart dropped as he spotted Samantha. “Oh, no!” He rushed to her side. “Sams!” He caught her shoulders and she blinked at him for a moment, still a touch disoriented from her fall.

“Leonardo?” Her eyes grew wide with recognition after just a moment and she threw herself against him. “Oh, Leonardo!”

He pulled her tight. “It’s alright.” He stepped back to look at her. “Were you in there, Sams?” She gave a small nod. His gaze shot to the cut on her brow, feeling his anger rise. “Did they hurt you?”

“No…I bumped my head on something.” She absently touched her forehead and winced.

Leo frowned, turning to where the others were talking to April. “Donatello!” Seeing Samantha in Leo’s arms, Donnie hurried over with the others just behind. Don looked from Leo to Samantha and back. “She bumped her head.” Leo said in explanation.

Don frowned as reached for her cautiously. Leo still held her, but he allowed Don to examine the wound and then hold open an eyelid. “Did you black out?” He asked her after a moment.

Samantha frowned. “Yeah, I think so. Just for a minute.”

It was Don’s turn to frown as he met his brother’s gaze. “The cut’s superficial, but she could have a mild concussion.”

Leo’s grip tightened on Sams. He growled softly. “Those two cretins did this.”

“It sure looks like it.” Raph folded his arms. As much as he didn’t like this crazy head-over-heels thing Leo was doing, he never wished Samantha harm.

Mikey’s eyes bulged. “You were in there, Sams! That is so not cool!”

“Um, excuse me. I don’t believe we’ve met.” April smiled politely and extended her hand. “I’m April O’Neil.”

Samantha released Leo with one hand to shake it. “Samantha Riggs.” She immediately pulled it back, placing it warmly on Leo’s plastron. She groaned softly. “I still have to cash my check somehow and then I have to wash clothes and buy groceries.”

Leo shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere, except home with us.” She frowned, ready to protest. But he continued. “You’ve got a concussion. Besides Master Splinter said he wanted to meet you.”

“He does have a point.” Don agreed. “You should be monitored for the next few hours in case that concussion isn’t so mild.”

She frowned up at Leo. “But when am I going to run my errands, then?”

He smiled wanly. “Later tonight, okay? Now come on.” He took her hand and led her to the van, Don trailing behind them.

As they disappeared inside, April looked at the others. “Uh, what was that?”

Mikey gave a giddy chuckle. “Isn’t it awesome! Leonardo’s finally found him a girl!”

“Yeah, and Rocksteady and Bebop nearly ventilated her too.” Raph pointed out with a frown.

April was staring at the van. _Leonardo has a girlfriend? When did that happen?_

“Well, we better get going. Let us know if you hear any more reports about those two boneheads.” Raph waved as he and Mikey climbed into the front of the van.

As they drove back to the lair, Leo dabbed the cut on Samantha’s head with a bit of disinfectant. He watched her as he placed a large Band-Aid over the spot. She seemed distracted, not meeting his gaze. He gently cupped her cheek. “Hey, you okay, Sams?”

At last she looked up at him. “I’m not sure. Those two that held up the bank…There was something odd about them.”

“There isn’t much that’s not odd about those two whack-jobs.” Mikey piped from the passenger’s seat.

She frowned. “You know them?”

“We’ve been knocking around those two meat-heads for the past ten years.” Raph turned into the drainage tunnel that led to their garage.

“They work for an old enemy of ours, named the Shredder.” Leo explained.

“Well, they used to anyways.” Don corrected. “We haven’t seen them in a few years. Not since we defeated Shredder.”

Leo squeezed her hand. “What exactly struck you as odd?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.” She smiled weakly. “Let’s not worry about that right now. You wanted me to meet your father.”

The van came to a stop. “Yes.” Leo took her hand and helped her out of the van.

Mikey joined them. “I hope Leonardo explained that he’s a rat.”

“Of course, I did, Michelangelo.” Leo led them into the living room where the fore-mentioned rat was waiting for them. Samantha stepped up beside Leo and smiled politely. “Master Splinter this is Samantha.”

“It is very nice to finally meet you, young lady.” Splinter extended his hand and she took it without hesitation.

But she paused, blinking at his fur covered hand with sharp claws. She squinted at it and then at him. Splinter was doing much the same. His nose twitched at her scent and his eyes narrowed, while his brain tried to place her. Her eyebrows rose slowly. “You?”

Splinter almost laughed. “Karma is indeed a strange thing.”

Leo looked from one to the other. “Um, are we missing something?”

Samantha released Splinter’s hand to take Leo’s, making the old rat smile. “Samantha and I apparently have some history.” He moved off to sit in the arm chair and the others followed, sitting about the couch and floor. “The first year we mutated was by far the hardest. I was used to going into stores and behaving as most humans do. So, when I was forced to scavenge for food for all of us, it was very difficult at first. One night as I was digging through a certain dumpster, a young girl came across me.”

“You mean, Sams?” Mikey asked.

Samantha blushed and Splinter chuckled. “Yes. She didn’t realize what or who I was, of course. I hide in the shadows. But I had been seen.”

“I just figured you were homeless and hungry.” She lowered her eyes. “I know what that feels like. I just wanted to help.”

“And you did.” Splinter smiled. “However, you did inadvertently cause my sons to become addicted.”

Samantha lifted her head with a curious expression before bursting into laughter. All four turtles looked from their laughing father to their laughing guest. Donnie finally couldn’t stand it anymore. “Addicted to what?”

She wiped at the happy tears rolling down her cheeks, her rather bad day forgotten. “Pizza! I gave him a pizza!”

“Their very first pizza, I might add.” Splinter’s eyes sparkled with amusement as a new round of laughter filled the lair. Karma was indeed strange.

Mikey hugged her from over the back of the couch. “Dudette, you are my new hero!”


	7. Crash on Memory Lane

Bebop watched Rocksteady pace back and forth across the abandon warehouse they’d been using as their home. “What’s got your pants in a bunch? We should be celebrating, we just made a lot of dough.” Rocksteady didn’t even acknowledge him as he continued to rub a rut in the floor. Bebop snorted. “Hey, did you hear me?” When Rocksteady still did not respond, Bebop got up and grabbed his shoulder. “Rock!”

“What!” Rocksteady huffed.

“I’ve been tryin’ to talk to ya. What’s the matter with ya?”

Rocksteady shook his rhino shaped head. “Nothin’.” He sighed. “Say, Bebop, you ever think about the old gang?”

Bebop shrugged and flopped back into the old recliner they’d found. “Yeah, I guess sometimes. Why?”

“No reason.” He frowned and looked out the window.

“You’re not thinkin’ about the gang. You’re thinkin’ about Cupcake.” Bebop pointed out matter-of-factly.

Rocksteady’s shoulders sagged and his ears drooped. “I saw her today.”

Bebop sat up straight. “You did?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you say somethin’ earlier? We could’ve went to see her.”

Rocksteady shook his head and looked down at his gray hands. “No. Not like this. I’m a freak. I’d just end up scarin’ her.” He clenched his fist, feeling the swell of guilt all over again. “Besides, I abandoned her.”

“Ya did no such thing, Rock! She was the reason you volunteered for this gig in the first place.” Bebop protested.

His companion shook his head forlornly. “She won’t see it that way. I’ve been gone too long.”

“It wasn’t our idea to be gone for ten years. The Shredder was supposed to pay us and he never did.” Bebop reminded him. “And then we got stuck in Dimension X.”

“He might’ve paid us, if it hadn’t been for those stupid turtles always gettin’ in the way.” Rocksteady felt the contempt for the four freaks rise in him. He’d joined up with Shredder in the hopes of making enough money to keep him and Sams set for life. He hadn’t really cared so much for world domination. He’d just wanted to keep his part of the world – his beautiful baby sister -  safe. And he’d been drawn into a squabble that he, in all truth, hadn’t wanted any part of.

He’d failed her. He’d left her all alone for years. She probably thought he was dead. And if she didn’t, he would never be able to face her. He’d promised to take care of her and he hadn’t. Sighing, he wandered over to the dingy old mattress in the corner and flopped down. _I’m a miserable excuse for a brother._

His own voice echoed in his ears. _“I’m gonna take care of you from now on, Sams. You just wait and see.”_ “Yeah, I did a bang up job of that, didn’t I?” He muttered to himself. After several minutes of trying to drive the knot of guilt from his stomach he rose, heading for the door.

Bebop looked up from the small TV. “Where you goin’?”

“To see Jersey Red.”

“Ya want me to come along?”

Rocksteady paused with his hand on the doorframe. “No. I gotta do this by myself.” He left before his oldest friend could ask him anything else. It was dusk already, but he still pulled on a dark hoodie, covering as much of his features as he could. They’d made it back to Earth a few months ago, living off what they’d managed to steal from their former employer. But their reserves had run dry, thus their little heist earlier in the day. Keeping to the alleyways and back streets, he made his way towards his old hood. He had no idea if Red would even still be there after all these years.

As he neared, he paused recognizing a particular alley.

**_-Flashback-_ **

Samantha was knelt beside the back door of an electronics shop, her lock-picks already working to open it, when he found her. He loomed over her, causing the other younger teens to scatter. “What do you think you’re doin’!”

She looked up, not a hint of fear in her eyes despite his now much larger size. “Shh, I’m almost in.”

He snatched her up by her arm, knocking the picks out in the process. “No!”

Fifteen-year-old Samantha was force to fear even then. She squared off with him. “What do you mean, no! You break in places all the time!”

“You ain’t doin’ this, Sams! I do what I gotta do to keep us in food, clothes and place to crash. You ain’t gonna go down my way. You’re smart, Sams. Way smarter than me.” Rocksteady ran a hand through his short blonde hair.

“I wasn’t going to take much.” She folded her arms with a frown. “I just wanted this cassette of-“

“I don’t care.” He grabbed her shoulders, making her look up at him. “You’re not doin’ this. Please, Cupcake. You deserve better than this life. Promise me, you won’t do this ever again. I’ll get you anything you want, just don’t follow what I do.”

She sighed, her eyes growing damp. She suddenly wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry, Joey. I promise to never do it again. I’ll be good. I’ll make you proud of me.”

He hugged her tightly. “I’m already proud of you, Sams. I just hope someday I can make you proud of me.”

**_-End of Flashback-_ **

Rocksteady shook himself of the memory and took back to his path. The old apartment building they’d been staying in when he’d left was gone and a brand new one stood in its place. So, he continued up the street, until he spotted a place he knew. “The Corner Pub. Now that brings back some memories.” But he didn’t dare approach the place, instead opting for an alley and waiting. It wasn’t long before he spotted Jersey Red leaving his old stomping grounds. “Hey, Red!” He called as she drew closer.

She frowned at him as she stopped beside the alley. “Do I know you, fella? I suggest you talk fast.”

“Chill Red. It’s me, Rocksteady.”

She scowled. “I don’t know who you are bub, but that loser is long gone.” She started to turn away.

He sighed. “Wait, Red! I know I’ve been gone a long time, but I’m back now. I just wanted to know how Sams was doin’.”

Jersey Red stopped at Samantha’s name and turned back to peer into the darkness. “If you’re Rocksteady, prove it. What’s his real name?”

“Joseph Riggs. You know that.”

She frowned, folding her arms. “You piece of scum! I got half a mind to rip your head off! But that would only upset Cupcake.”

“How she doin’?”

Red shook her head. “She’s doin’ just fine without you. You better not mess things up for her. She’s got her head on straight and got outta this dump.”

Rocksteady couldn’t help the touch panic that hit him. “She’s not here anymore? But you and Lugnut promised to watch her!”

“And we did for ten years.” She looked away. “She didn’t deserve what you did to her. Abandonin’ her like that.”

“Where is she?”

Red shook her head again. “She’s all grown up, Rock. She don’t need you messin’ things up for her.”

“I won’t bother her. I…I just want to see her for myself.”

“Fine. But if you plan on runnin’ off again, don’t get her hopes up by lettin’ her see you.”

Rocksteady stared at the horn on the tip of his snout that he could never avoid. “You don’t have to worry. I ain’t gonna let her see me.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

The evening in the lair couldn’t have gone any better. Even Raphael had relaxed around Samantha after they’d discovered her connection to Splinter. When the topic of conversation had returned to the bank robbery, she’d frowned remembering her load of unwashed clothes. Donnie had suggested she use their washer since she lived rather close to them. So, she and Leo had taken a quick trip back to her apartment and returned with her basket of dirty clothes.

While her clothes had washed and dried, she’d been introduced to Mikey’s version of pizza. After which they’d watched a movie. Leo had casually slipped his arm around her when she’d snuggled into him. His brothers had exchanged looks that had quickly grown into smiles as the night had continued. It was very obvious that Samantha made him happy in a way that they could only imagine.

It was very late by the time Leo escorted her home. “So, how did you know that Master Splinter was the man you’d seen that night?”

Samantha smiled. “I recognized his hands. I’d seen them when I handed him the pizza.”

Leo chuckled, her basket tucked under one arm, while he held her close with the other. “I think Splinter was just as shocked as you were.”

She giggled. “I’m just glad that pizza got put to such good use.” She grinned. “Joey wasn’t too happy about me showing up without it. He spent the whole night grumbling, because I told him I dropped it on the sidewalk.”

Leo chuckled again as they came to her door. “I know we appreciated it.”

She laughed as they stepped inside. “In Michelangelo’s case, I think it was more like idolized it.”

Leo set down the basket of neatly folded clothes with a grin. “Yep, I’d say that pretty much covers it.”

Samantha reached up into the cabinet, where she’d stored her first aid supplies. “Sit on the bed and I’ll take those stitches out.”

He complied and he watched as she sat beside him with her back to him. She leaned over with a tiny pair of scissors to remove the stitches. As she worked, he couldn’t help but relish her closeness. Her hands were warm against his skin and, every once in a while, her breath would feather across it. He suppressed the desire to shiver as she gently turned his leg to remove the ones on the other side.

Her blonde curls, cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. He struggled not to reach for them until he felt the last stitch pop and the soft tug that indicated the line was out. Then his hands slipped around her shoulders, pulling back against him. She leaned into him, trembling slightly as he brushed her hair from one shoulder. His breath was warm in her ear. “Thank you.”

She quivered when his mouth touched lightly against her neck. Her pulse raced uncontrollably. He was driving her crazy. “Leonardo…”

Her voice came out breathy and he couldn’t stop the shiver this time. He drew in a deep breath of her scent, which he’d nearly become obsessed over in the last few days. He slowly lifted his head to look down into her passion filled eyes. He inhaled sharply. How could a creature so beautiful look at him with that much desire? Her hand gently wrapped around his own neck, drawing him closer.

A moment later, he was swallowed in a hungry kiss that sent his senses reeling. Somehow she ended up in his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He could feel his body responding to hers and he knew he’d have to stop this soon, as much as he hated to. When her hands grazed the tender flesh beneath the ridge of his shell, a wholly possessive growl left him.

 

At last she pulled away, her breath hot against his skin. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

Leo smirked. “Me too.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “Do you have to leave?”

“Yeah.” He said sadly, running his fingers through her silky curls. “But I wish I could stay.”

She sighed softly, listening to his heartbeat. “I understand. But I can’t help wishing you could stay too.”

He sighed, kissing her brow and slipping her gently from his lap. “You need to get some rest. You have work tomorrow night.”

Samantha groaned loudly as she followed him to the door. “Don’t remind me.”

He hated leaving after what had happened earlier in the day, so he took his turtle-com from his belt. “Here, take this. If you need me, just press this button.”

She took it with a small smile, setting it beside the TV. “I will.”

He opened the door and bent for one last gentle kiss.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Rocksteady stepped into the alley across from the old brownstone. Red hadn't told him much more. Only that she was giving him Samantha's address, because she'd promised the younger girl, not because of him. He'd managed to mutter a thank you for watching his sister to which Red had promptly told him to go suck an egg. Now as he looked across the street at Samantha's apartment, he was surprised to find a light on inside and two shadows moving about.

He felt the tug of the long dormant, but still very present overprotectiveness. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that she was an adult now. She'd be twenty-five now. Well old enough to take care of herself and be in whatever relationship she might have. He had to admit she did seem to be doing better than he ever had. He was slightly startled when her door suddenly opened. He took a few steps forward as he heard voices drift softly onto the street.

He could see her now. There was a small bandage on her forehead, but her smile was bright. She gazed up at her companion. Rocksteady felt his mouth hang open in complete and utter astonishment. _A turtle? What's a turtle doin’ with her?_

He watched as Leo tenderly stroked her cheek and leaned down. Then to his complete disgust, she kissed him. And from the look of it, it wasn't their first. Anger and resentment boiled its way through his body, until he could no longer contain it. He sprinted across the street to stop at the top of the short set up steps. "Get your hands off her, green boy."

Leo whipped his head, automatically pulling Sams into his side protectively. His eyes narrowed as they landed on his old foe. "You'll beat it, horn-head, if you know what's good for you."

Samantha stared up at the rhino-man. She couldn't see his eyes in the dim street light, so his dark silhouette looming over them made her nervous. But she took comfort in the iron grip around her waist. Rocksteady snorted loudly at Leo's treat. "I told you to take your hands off her!"

Leo's hand rested on the hilt of one sword. "I'm warning you. Back off now!" He growled fiercely, eyes narrowed and body tense.

But Rocksteady did no such thing, instead coming the few steps and stepping into the light from the doorway. "Let her go or I'll rip your arms out of their sockets, turtle."

Samantha gasped softly. _Those eyes, I'd know them anywhere!_

Leo chanced a glance down at her. He took the look on her face as one of fear. "Don't worry, Sams. I won't let him lay a hand on you." He tucked her behind him as he turned fully to the mutant in front of him.

Rocksteady flinched. "Me?"

Leo's growl rose again. "You already hurt her once today. I won't let you do it again." He needed to get this creep away from her and fast. He'd have to make the first move. He raced forward, slamming a fist into the mutant's jaw. Rocksteady stumbled back onto the steps. Leo leveled his sword at him. "Leave now!"

Rocksteady glared. "Fat chance, freak!"

Leo was becoming frustrated. The idea of Rocksteady anywhere near Sams made his hackles rise. He moved forward again with every intention of teaching this moron to heed his warnings. But suddenly Samantha was between them. Leo froze mid-strike. "Sams!"

But she held up her hands to both of them. "Stop!"

"Get away from him Sams! He could hurt you!" Leo took a step towards her.

She met his gaze with a sad one of her own. "People have said the same thing about you in the past. I didn't believe them either." Leo stared at her slack-jawed as she turned to Rocksteady, her gaze soft. "Joey? Is that you?"

Rocksteady looked away suddenly self-conscious. "Don't look at me, Sams." He held up his hands, trying to hide the grotesque creature he'd become. But Samantha was as impulsive as ever as she stepped forward and pushed the hood back from his head. His ears drooped. "I'm a monster." He muttered pathetically.

"Oh, Joey...."

Leo sputtered. "He's your brother? Rocksteady is your brother!"

She turned to look at him, a touch of trepidation in her eyes. "Yes."

Leo shook his head, barely able to process what she was telling him. "But we've been talking about him all night? You never said anything?"

She shook her own head. "None of you ever said his name! Not even once!"

Leo pointed his sword at Rocksteady again. "He works for our mortal enemy!"

"Not any more, I don't." Rocksteady protested.

Leo stepped back, sheathing his sword. He leaned against the doorframe, unsure of what to do. Samantha stepped close, noting his sudden sullen mood. "Leonardo?"

Leo shook his head, catching her hand as she reached for him. He couldn't do this. He couldn't be in a relationship with someone so closely related to the Shredder. It would be like betraying his family - like betraying Master Splinter. But if she rejected Rocksteady - told him to leave... "Sams, I can't be here with him here."

She blinked at him. Not sure if she heard what she thought she'd heard. "You're asking me to choose?" Leo gave a slow almost imperceptible nod. "You want me to choose between the man that I love and my brother that has been missing for ten years?" Surely he was not really asking her to do that!

"Yeah, choose, Sams." Rocksteady had gotten to his feet not far away.

She looked between the two of them. Did either of them have a clue what they were asking her to do! "No! I can't! I won't!" She ripped her hand from Leo's and slammed the door shut on both of them. The sound of the deadbolt hitting home echoed on the now silent street.


	8. Fools

Leo stared at the closed door for a moment in surprise. He sighed heavily. _What have I done?_ “Sams…” He leaned his head on the door. He could feel her standing just on the other side. Her words rolled through his mind. “I love you too.” He nearly whispered. There was a muffled sob on the other side and he could feel his heart break. _I didn’t mean to hurt her._ The orange rays of dawn touched the sky above, making him frown. The streets would be crowded soon and he didn’t have on a disguise. “I have to go, it’s dawn. You have my com, if you want to talk.” He told her through the door.

He turned to glare at Rocksteady. “I will be back.”

“Forget about it you, slimy turtle. I’m not gonna let you touch her again.” Rocksteady glowered. “Now beat it!”

Leo gave the door another forlorn look before quietly walking away. When he was gone Rocksteady turned to the door. _How did I manage to screw everything up so bad so fast?_ He knocked softly. “Come on, Cupcake. Let me in. We gotta talk.” He ducked to one side as someone passed on the sidewalk. “I can’t stay out here with all these people, Sams.” He waited for a moment and then sighed. “Okay, I’ll go.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

When Samantha had slammed the door shut, she’d leaned against it trembling all over. _How could they do that to me_! She felt the sting of tears as they began to trickle down her cheeks. “Sams…” Leo’s voice was muffled only slightly by the door. She shook her head, not ready to give in yet. She wasn’t going to choose between them! It was wrong! “I love you too.” He said softly. Her heart raced. Had she said that? Yes, she had. And it was so very true. She did love him. A sob ripped its way out of her throat, her vision blurring with more tears.

Her hand moved towards the knob, the desire to fling open the door and throw herself into his arms nearly too much. But her fingers shook as she touched it. The last few days played through her mind on fast-forward. She just couldn’t understand it. How could he…after everything….

“I have to go, it’s dawn. You have my com, if you want to talk.”

She let her hand fall, drawing her knees to her chest and letting the tears fall freely. She couldn’t face him. Not yet.

A moment later, there was another knock on the door. “Come on, Cupcake. Let me in. We gotta talk.” Joey sounded desperate. But she shook her head. He’d done the same thing. He’d tried to force her to choose between them. Hugging her knees a little tighter, she bit her lip. _But he’s family, my only family. And I haven’t seen him in so long…_

“I can’t stay out here with all these people, Sams.”

She stood slowly, her hand on the knob and her forehead against the door. Her heart tumbled and her stomach churned. _I’m not choosing. We’re just talking._

“Okay, I’ll go.”

She opened the door to stare at him with red puffy eyes. The two held each other’s gazes for a long time, before she stepped back allowing him in. He walked in, giving the tiny apartment a critical look. He turned to her as she closed and locked the door. When she finally looked up at him there was determination in her eyes. “I am not choosing.”

He put up his hands in a passive gesture. “Okay.” He smiled as he looked at her in the light. “You haven’t changed much. You’re still just as pretty as the day I left and just as ornery.”

She glared for a moment, but her expression quickly dropped to one of exhaustion. “Look you can stay here if you want. But I’m tired and I have to go to work tonight. So, just try to keep it down.”

He frowned. “Don’t you want to talk and stuff?”

She dragged a hand down her face. “No. Right now I want to sleep.” She sat on the daybed and pulled off her shoes. “We can talk later.”

He watched her slip under the sheet in her clothes and curl up into a ball. He sighed inwardly. She was shutting down on him and he knew from experience he wouldn’t get much out of her right now. He should just be grateful that she had let him in.

His frown only grew as he surveyed the small room. The beat up dresser and small TV, although old seemed to be decent enough. The tiny table and chairs were in slightly better condition. But there wasn’t anything else there, except the daybed. _She doesn’t even have a blanket to sleep under._

He moved into the kitchen to see if there was something to eat. Her cabinets were bare, except for some first aid supplies. And her refrigerator only held a tub of butter and two pizzas. She didn’t seem much better off than she had when he left. _I’ll just have to fix that._

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Leo trudged through the sewers at a brokenhearted pace. He kept replaying the incident in his mind. Had he done the right thing? Part of him thought so. Rocksteady was an enemy, who’d fought many, many battles against him. He was the Shredder’s henchmen. Even if Rocksteady professed he no longer worked for their archrival, he couldn’t be certain. They’d tried that trick on them before.

Sams’ face flashed before his eyes. The look of betrayal and heartache in her blue eyes haunted him. He paused, feeling his breath coming too fast. He leaned against the tunnel wall, a hand pressed over his heart. In his mind he knew it was treachery to even consider being with the sister of that monster. And yet, it hurt so terribly bad to walk away. It was like someone had a hold of his heart, squeezing the very life out of it. He sucked in several deep breaths, clenching his eyes closed against the awful ache.

He had to be strong, no matter what. _I can’t go back. She loves her brother and deserves to be with him. I must cherish her happiness enough to step aside._ Even as the thought formed, he wanted to retch. He needed her. Her touch – her scent – her warm smile and laugh – her acceptance – her love. His face grew damp as he stood alone in the tunnel. _I have to do this!_ He straightened, swiping at his face. _For Sams, I have to walk away._ He took another deep breath, centering himself, and walked quietly home.

No one was up, except Donnie. He could hear his brother puttering in his lab. Using his ninja skill, Leo made no sound as he slipped though the living room into the bedroom. Both Raph and Mikey were fast asleep. Mikey hanging half off his bed. But Leo barely saw them as climbed into his own bed. His pain was his own and he would suffer with it quietly. No one else needed to know of his dishonor and shame.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Samantha woke late in the afternoon to find Joey laid out on the floor between the daybed and dresser. He had his arms tucked under his head, but still looked pretty uncomfortable. She frowned, remembering the last time she’d seen him.

**_-Flashback-_ **

“I don’t understand! Why are you leaving!” Samantha stared up at her brother.

“I have to, Sams. This gig is gonna put us on easy street. The guy’s supposed to pay big bucks.” Joey hated the idea of leaving her, but if he could go and make some real money, then it was worth it.

Samantha folded her arms with a frown. “How long will you be gone?”

He put his hands on her shoulders. “Not long. I promise. This guy is some big shot. It shouldn’t take long to do whatever he wants us to do.” He lifted her chin to look at him. “Hey, you won’t even have a chance to miss me. And you’ll have Red to keep you company in the meantime.”

Samantha shook her head, blonde curls falling all over. “I don’t want to stay with them. I want you to stay with me.”

He sighed. “I know you do. I do too. But if I can make enough money off this one job, then we can get out of this hole. You might even be able to go to college.”

Her bottom lip trembled. “I don’t care about all that!” Tears finally slipped down her cheeks. “I’m scared I’ll never see you again. You’re my only family, Joey.”

He pulled her into an embrace. “Now, you listen to me, Sams. I’m gonna come back. I promise.”

**_-End of Flashback-_ **

She stared at him for another moment. _Well, he kept his promise, late as it might be. And I don’t care that he looks different. I can still see my brother in his eyes._

She pushed herself off the bed and grabbed some clothes, heading for the shower. When she emerged a while later, Joey was sitting at the table staring into a cup. She guessed it was water as she had no other beverages. He looked up at her. “Do you got time to talk?”

“Not much.” She said softly, but didn’t try to stop him.

He sighed. “I’m sorry for bein’ gone so long. Red wasn’t too happy with me either.”

She moved to the refrigerator and pulled out the only pizza remaining. “You talked to Red?”

“Yeah, after she gave me a good chewin’ out, she told me where you were.” He frowned as he watched her place two slices on a pan and put it in the oven. “You don’t got much food.”

She turned to frown at him. “Well, now that would be your fault, wouldn’t it? I was trying to cash my check when you robbed my bank. So, now we will both have to deal with what I have until I can find time to go back to the bank and then go shopping.”

“Sorry.” His gaze moved up to the cut on her forehead, which was scabbed over. But there was a garish blackish bruise adorning her brow now. He pointed at it. “Sorry about that too. We wouldn’t have robbed the joint, if we’d known you were there.”

She frowned. “So, let me get this straight. The only reason you feel guilty about robbing the place, is because I was there?”

He shrugged. “Well, yeah.”

“The Joey I knew wouldn’t have put all those people in danger.” She searched his eyes for the slightest sign of remorse.

He threw his hands up. “Look at me, Sams. I can’t exactly get a normal job and I gotta eat somehow.”

She sighed. How could she argue with logic like that? He was right after all, there weren’t any jobs for rhino-men. She turned and pulled the warmed pizza from the oven. As she did she was reminded of the last time she’d warmed food in it. Her heart clenched, remembering his words. _"Sams, I can't be here with him here."_ A shiver went down her spine. No matter how much she wanted to be angry with him for those words, she couldn’t. Instead, all she wanted was to feel his arms around her again and the brush of his soft mouth against hers. _I wonder if he’s thinking about me?_

“You okay, Cupcake.” Joey asked from behind her. When she didn’t answer right away, he sighed. “You’re thinkin’ about last night. Well, don’t. Those green freaks are nothin’ but trouble. I know, because I’ve known them for a long time. You’re better off without him.”

She turned to stare at him with a touch of disbelief. He had no clue what he was talking about. Part of her wanted to argue with him – to tell him he was flat out wrong. She’d come to really enjoy Leo’s family. But at the moment, she had no fight left in her. She pulled a spare key from a drawer and laid it on the table. “I’ve got to go to work. Make sure you lock up, if you leave.” With that she picked up the pizza and walked out the door.

Rocksteady slumped in his chair. _That could have gone better._ But he knew he was right. The turtles were nothing but trouble making punks, always getting in their way. But wait, whose way? Most of the times they’d tangled, it hadn’t been his grand plans they’d ruin. It had been the Shredder’s or Krang’s. He huffed. _He still ain’t puttin’ his hands on my baby sister!_

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

He was completely and utterly miserable. Leo flopped on his bed, curling up into a ball. He’d spent the day fending off his brothers light-hearted teasing about his relationship with Sams. He’d laughed along with them, but inside every word had hurt, twisting a knife deeper into his heart. He’d nearly broken down when Mikey had asked when she’d be coming back for a visit. Leo wasn’t even certain at this stage if she would be willing to see him. She hadn’t called, not that he’d expected her to. He wouldn’t have known what to say, if she had.

Mikey peeked around the doorframe at Leo laying with his shell facing him. Something was off about their eldest brother. He’d been rather odd all day. And for the life of him, Mikey just couldn’t figure it out. Things had gone so well last night. Leo should be on cloud nine right now.

“What are you doin’, Michelangelo?”

Mikey jumped a little and turned to Raph, putting a finger to his lips. He grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the bedroom. “Dude, there is something epically wrong with Leonardo.”

Raph frowned. “You noticed that too.”

“Yeah, it was hard not to. He was dragging around here all day. And I don’t think it was because he was tired.” He thought for a moment. “You don’t suppose him and Sams had a fight, do you?”

Raph’s frown turned into a scowl. “You think she dumped him?”

Mikey waved his hands. “No. It was just a thought. They were so happy last night that I can’t see any other reason for him to be in a funk.”

Donnie appeared from his lab, wiping grease from his hands. “Hey, guys. What’s with the faces?”

“Do you think Leo was acting strange today?” Mikey asked him.

Don gave a slow nod. “I just thought maybe he was tired. But it did seem to be more than that.”

Raph folded his arms. “Michelangelo thinks that maybe Sams dumped him.”

“I didn’t say that, bro. I said maybe they had a fight.” Mikey protested.

Donnie raised an eyebrow. “Has either of you considered asking him what’s wrong?” The two shook their heads and he let out a sigh. “Then let’s do that before we jump to conclusions.” He started for the bedroom, his two brothers trailing behind him. Leo was still curled up on his bed, staring at the wall. He didn’t seem to notice them when they stopped at the foot of his bed. Don frowned, stepping around and touching his shoulder. “Leonardo, are you okay?”

He blinked up at Don. Then plastered on the same false smile he’d been wearing all day. “I’m fine, why?”

“You’ve been acting mega odd all day, bro.” Mikey took a step closer.

Don nodded. “We were worried about you.”

Leo sat up, glancing between his brothers. “I’m fine, just a little tired is all. I was gone all night.”

“Yeah, about that. Did somethin’ happen after you left last night?” Raph moved to stand beside Mikey.

Leo felt his insides convulse. The memory of what happened tore at him all over again. “No.” He stood abruptly. “I can’t sleep after all. I’m going to go for a walk.”

“You going to see Sams?” Mikey asked hopefully.

Leo frowned. “No, Michelangelo. She’s at work right now. I’m just going for a walk in the sewers.” He didn’t give them anymore opportunity to question him as he left the lair with determined strides.

Raph growled. “I knew this was going to happen! She strung him along and then dumped him!”

“We don’t know anything, Raphael. He didn’t answer our question. And until he does, we shouldn’t make any assumptions.” Don pointed out.

“I really don’t think Sams would do that anyways, bro.” Mikey rubbed his head. But there was still something wrong.

“Well, if he doesn’t fess up soon, I’m goin’ over there and talkin’ to her.” Raph turned and stomped off. Don and Mikey exchanged pained looks. Things weren’t going as they’d hoped for their brother.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Sams swiped at the sweat on her brow, leaving a line of dirt on it. She knew she wasn’t being as productive as normal, but she just couldn’t get her mind to focus. She was glad she’d left the turtle-com on the dresser at home, as she’d probably have used it by now. She couldn’t fight the desire – need - to see and hear Leo again. She wondered once more, if what she’d done was right. Could she have handled the situation better? She just didn’t know. Her hands paused as she heard his words again. _“I love you too.”_ They made her heart both soar and ache at the same time.

“Riggs, you sick?” A gruff male voice spoke way too close to her.

She looked up at the third shift foreman. “No, just have a lot on my mind.”

“Well, you better get it off of it. You’re slowin’ up the line. Now get back to work.” Steve was unpleasant middle aged man with a scruffy beard and yellow teeth.

She rolled her eyes, but did pick up the pace as the night drew on. When she finally trudged her way home and opened the door, she stared at her apartment in shock. “What on Earth?”


	9. Descent

Samantha stared at her apartment and almost stepped back outside to check the house number, but then she spotted Joey sitting at the table with a… Was that a warthog? “What is going on here?”

The warthog grinned at her. “Hey, Cupcake! Long time no see!”

She blinked at him. “Bebop?”

His grin somehow grew. “The one and only.”

She shook her head at him, then turned her attention back to the apartment. There was now a rug on the floor, a spare mattress tucked under the bed, a fluffy comforter on the bed, a microwave, and although she couldn’t see it, she knew her cabinets were full of food. She stretched a hand out, indicating all the things. “What is all this? Where’d it come from?”

“What’s it look like? You needed some stuff, so me and Bebop went and got it.” Rocksteady said with a proud smile.

Samantha frowned. “You mean you stole it.” It was more of a statement than a question.

Bebop shrugged. “Well, yeah. Ain’t that what we usually do?”

She felt the heat rise to her face as her anger began to grow. How dare he come back into her life and try to run it all over again. “I don’t want it. Take it back.”

Rocksteady stood. “What? You ain’t never turned down nothin’ I got you in the past. Why don’t you want it?”

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Because it’s stolen.”

“So?”

“ _So_ , I’ve worked hard to get what I have. I don’t want things that I didn’t earn anymore. That was something we _had_ to do to survive. Well, I don’t _have_ to do that anymore. My place might be small and not have much in it, but it’s mine. I earned it, fair and square!” She picked up the light rug off the floor and shoved it into her brother’s arms. “Now, take it back or get rid of it!”

He shook his large gray head. “I don’t understand, Sams.”

“I don’t care if you understand it or not! I don’t want them!”

He looked around the room and then at her. He was completely confused. “But-“

That was it, she couldn’t take it anymore! She was tired of everyone trying to tell her what to do and “take care of her”. She was an adult for crying out loud! Everything had been going so well and now it was all screwed up. “Get out! Just get out!” Bebop took the clue right away and scrambled out the door, while Rocksteady stood gapping at her. She shoved him towards the door. “Now! This is my apartment! I don’t need you here! I’ve been doing just fine without you!”

She gave him another rough shove and he stumbled out the door with the rug still in his arms, his mouth and eyes as round as they could get. “Sams, w-wait!”

But she didn’t. She slammed and locked the door, falling to her knees on the inside. She buried her face in her hands, allowing the tidal wave of emotion to finally break free. _Everything’s falling apart!_

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Leo had been wandering around the sewers rather aimlessly, barely noting which direction he turned. Until he arrived at a familiar ladder. He sighed, setting his hand on one of the rungs. This was the ladder leading up to Sams’ place. He wanted so badly to climb it and talk to her, but he fought the desire down. She was better off without him. He’d had no right to try to start a relationship with such an incredible creature. She was smart and kind and beautiful. And what was he?

He looked down at his hands. For the first time in his life, he truly hated what he was. If he was human, he could be with her all the time. He wouldn’t have to hide in a sewer or be the enemy of an insane ninja megalomaniac intent on world domination. And in turn, he wouldn’t be the enemy of her brother. The knot in his stomach twisted tighter, nearly cutting off his air. Drawing upon his training, he willed his heartrate to slow and breathing to calm.

 _No, I can’t abandon my family. Just as she can’t abandon hers._ This was the right thing to do. He turned and headed home. The others were in the kitchen when he arrived, the smell of hot pizzas filling the air. His stomach lurched at the very idea of food. Knowing that it would only cause more concern if he showed himself but didn’t eat, he skirted around the living room.

But he was spotted anyway. “Yo, Leonardo. Come join us, bro. I made your favorite, jellybean and avocado.”

Leo stopped with his back to Mikey. He’d nearly made it to the bedroom. “No thank you, Michelangelo. I’m not hungry.”

Mikey frowned. “But you haven’t eaten anything since this morning and that wasn’t much.”

“I’m fine.” He automatically replied.

“That’s a load of bull, if I ever heard it.”

Leo at last turned to find Raph and Don had joined them. He frowned. “What is your deal, Raphael? You’re miserable, so the rest of us have to be as well.”

Raph narrowed his eyes.  “I ain’t the only one that’s miserable.” Leo huffed, folding his arms. Raph moved forward pointing a finger in his face. “There’s something wrong and you’re gonna tell us what it is!”

Leo slapped the hand away, his eyes growing cold with barely controlled fury. “It’s none of your business! Now back off!”

Raph growled and both Mikey and Don grabbed him, pulling him back. Starting a fist fight was not going to solve anything. “Calm down!” Don told Raph, then he turned back to Leo. But he was gone. The sound of the punching bag being pummeled in the distance echoed through the lair. He sighed, turning back to Raph. “Fighting with him isn’t going to get him to open up. We need to give him some time.”

Raph pulled his arm from Mikey and folded them. “Fine, you deal with him then. I’m done.” He walked over to the couch and flopped down, grabbing the remote and flipping channels vigorously.

Mikey threw his hands in the air. “Oh, great! Now we have two of them in a funk.”

Don sighed. “Don’t worry, Michelangelo. Raphael will get over his soon enough, it’s Leonardo I’m worried about.”

“But we can’t do anything to help him, until he tells us what’s wrong.” Mikey looked towards the dojo with concern.

“And for that, we’ll just have to wait.” Don put an arm around his baby brother and turned him back to the kitchen. Pizza was always a sure way to cheer him up.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Having no appetite, Samantha had crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep. When she’d woken late in the afternoon and looked at her watch, she frowned. She didn’t feel like going to work. She didn’t feel like moving at all. There was a cold ball in her stomach and despite the warm blanket, she felt colder than she had in years. It was like she’d spent the night on the street, sleeping behind a dumpster in the middle of winter. She didn’t feel like seeing anyone. She’d thrown out her brother for giving her things, which in all truth she did need, and she’d likely burnt her bridge with Leonardo. She’d probably never see him again.

The ball in her stomach seemed to expand, sending chilling waves through her veins. She rolled over, facing the wall and blocking out the world. She knew it would go on without her, the little street urchin that had thought she could climb her way out of the gutter. New tears fell, but no one was there to see them.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Rocksteady was back to pacing. It was the only thing he could do. He was nervous and anxious and confused. He’d left like Sams had asked or rather demanded. But he still didn’t understand why she was upset at him. He’d only been trying to help.

“Hey, Rock, maybe you should just calm down and sit down for a while.” Bebop sat at table in the old warehouse, stuffing his face with hamburgers.

“I can’t. I gotta go and talk to her.”

“She don’t want to talk to you.” Bebop pointed out.

“It’s been three days, surely she’s calmed down by now.” Rocksteady was interrupted by a knock on the door. The two looked at one another. Nobody knew they were there. Slowly he approached the door, ready in case they had to bolt or fight. He opened the door and stared in surprise at their visitor. “Lugnut?”

The older male folded his arms, scrutinizing the two mutants. “Red said I’d find you out this way.” He stepped inside and looked from one to the other. “I know you’re Rocksteady.” He turned to eye the warthog. “So, you gotta be Bebop.”

“What you doin’ out this way?” Bebop asked.

“I came lookin’ for this bonehead.” He turned to Rocksteady with a scowl. “What did you do to Cupcake?”

“Nothin’, I swear. We just had an argument.” Then he paused. “Why are you askin’ about her?”

“I got a friend at that packin’ company that keeps an eye on her for me. She ain’t seen her in three days.” He shook a fist at the rhino. “If anything’s happened to her, I’m gonna pound your head in!”

Rocksteady was already moving to the door. “I’m gonna go check on her.”

Bebop hurried after him. “I’m commin’ too!”

People scattered as the two mutants pushed through the streets, coming at last to Sams’ door. Rocksteady knocked on the door with a heavy fist. “Sams, are you in there! Open up!” There was no response, so he dug through his pants for the spare key. He nearly dropped it as he tried to put it in the door. But the deadbolt was locked and the chain was on. He pounded on the door again. “Sams!”

“Move!” Bebop shoved him aside and put his shoulder into the door. It popped open like it was spring loaded, banging into the wall. The apartment beyond was dark and there didn’t seem to be any sign of life.

But Rocksteady’s nose knew better. He pushed past his old friend to move towards the small bundle on the bed. She didn’t turn to him or acknowledge him and a tingle of fear pulsed through him. He touched her shoulder. It was warm and there was slight movement when she breathed. “Sams?” He gently turned her over. She stared at him, eyes blank and distant. She looked awful with dark rings under her eyes. “Bebop, get her some water.”

He sat on the side of the bed and lifted her gently into his arms. “Come on, Sams. Talk to me.” She continued to be unresponsive, almost catatonic. He touched her cheek and she looked at him. But still she did not speak. Bebop handed him the cup of water and he lifted it to her lips. “Come on, Cupcake, you gotta drink somethin’ and, from the look of you, eat somethin’.” She did, but only a few sips before turning her head weakly away.

He frowned. “This ain’t about our fight is it?” She didn’t meet his eyes. “I knew it! This is about that stupid, good-for-nothin’ turtle!”

“Turtle?” Bebop echoed. “What turtle?”

“She’s got a thing for one of those stinkin’ green-faced geeks.” Rocksteady told him with disdain. He turned her towards him, grabbing her shoulders tightly. “Forget about ‘im, Sams.”

“No.” She peeped, her eyes hooded. She tried to push his hands off her shoulder, but he grabbed her wrist.

“I mean it! I promised to take care of you and that means I ain’t lettin’ that freak anywhere near you!”

She tugged at her wrist. “Let go!”

“No, not until you listen to me for a change!”

Tears welled in her eyes. “You’re hurting me!”

He immediately released her, staring at the angry hand shaped bruise forming on her wrist. She drew it against her chest, looking away. His mouth hung open for a moment. “Aw, Sams, I’m sorry. I don’t know my own strength sometimes.” He stood and stepped away from her, chancing a glance at her out the corner of his eye. She didn’t look him, her head down and face hidden behind a curtain of blonde curls. He suddenly left the small apartment.

Bebop gave Sams a sympathetic look and then hurried after him. “Where you goin’ now?”

“To find me a turtle.” Rocksteady half growled. “It’s time to put an end to this.”

“How you gonna do that? We don’t know where they are?”

“No, but April O’Neil does.”

The two left, leaving the door standing ajar. Inside, Samantha’s mind was slow to grasp what they’d said. The only thing it latched onto was they were going to find Leonardo. She was weak and dehydrated, but she didn’t care. All she knew was she couldn’t face him. Not now. She struggled to her feet and to the dresser, her hand landing on the turtle-com. For a moment she stared at it, a foggy memory of him handing it to her surfacing. She tucked it into her pocket and stumbled out the door, not bothering to close it after her.

She picked a direction blindly and started walking. The world barely existed, the sounds of cars and people fading away to white noise. All she did was concentrate on putting one foot in front of another. The sky was dark, when her legs begged her to stop. She forced them on for another block or so, then slumped against a brick wall. She clutched her injured wrist against her chest. It was throbbing in tune with her heart. She knew Joey hadn’t meant to hurt her. He would never intentionally do such a thing. She knew he felt terrible about it too.

And yet, her mind kept going back to Leo. What if they were able to find him? What if they hurt him? _I should never have left_. She pulled out the com and stared at it in the dark street. _Maybe I should call him. He told me to, if I needed him._

“Now, what do we have here?” The voice chilled her to the bone. It was the one that haunted her dreams.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Leo pumped the bar again and again, sweat dripping from his whole body. He’d been doing his best to avoid his family in its entirety. Even Splinter was beginning to question him and he usually let Leo work things out for himself, only intervening when absolutely necessary. He had struggled through the last three days to say the least. And it had shown in every aspect of his life. He barely ate and sleep was elusive. He’d had his shell handed to him several times over the last few days in training. That was likely why he was now drawing his father’s attention.

So, he’d spent the majority of the day in the dojo, trying desperately to keep his mind off Sams – off the vanilla scent of her hair, off the softness of her skin, and the gentleness of her touch. Yeah, he was _trying_ , but not really succeeding. He groaned softly, dropping the long bar into the bench’s hooks. This was not working at all. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before slowly sitting up. The turtle-com on his belt chirped and he pulled it out, staring at it. Was it Sams? Would she call him now, after more than three days of nothing?

It chirped again and he answered it, not wanting one of his brothers to. The shadow of hope left him as the image came to the tiny screen. “Uh, hey, April.” He cleared his throat. “What’s up?”

April held an uncertain look in her eye. “Um, Leonardo. Could you come over? I have something I need your help with.”

He frowned, still not in a mood for socializing. “I’m kind of busy. Could I send one of the other fellas?”

She looked at something off-screen and then back. “No, I really need you for this. Do you mind coming over right away?”

He gave a soft sigh. “Okay, April. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He hung up and went to clean up. _Well, at least it’ll get me out of the lair for a few hours._


	10. Breaking Bad

Leo descended the fire escape to April’s window, giving it a small rap. She appeared shortly, opening the window for him. “Leonardo, thanks for coming over so fast.”

He climbed inside. “No problem. What did you need help with?”

“Um, it’s…uh, in here.” She moved into the kitchen and he followed.

They’d spent a lot of time at April’s over the years, so he felt pretty comfortable there. But as she stepped through the doorway, he stopped cold. Sitting at the table was Rocksteady and leaning on the counter behind him was Bebop. He growled, immediately going into a defensive stance. “What do you two want?” His gaze shifted to his old friend, searching her for injury. But other than the fact that she looked tired, she seemed fine. “April, what’s going on?”

She took a step towards him. “Easy, Leonardo. They just want to talk.”

Leo relaxed slightly, though he did not approach any closer. “About what?”

Rocksteady finally lifted his head to look at him. “Sams.”

Leo’s heart raced with fear and he couldn’t stop his forward momentum as he took a step. “What about her?”

Rocksteady glanced over his shoulder at Bebop, who gave his buddy an encouraging nod. They’d discussed it on the way over and this was his only option. “She ain’t happy.” He sighed. “Matter of fact, I’m pretty sure she’s depressed.”

Leo’s expression dropped turning concerned. “Depressed?” Well, he could understand that. He’d been feeling much the same.

Bebop folded his arms. “Yeah, she ain’t goin’ to work or eatin’ or sleepin’ by the looks of her.”

Leo had to fight every cell in his body not take off at that very instant to dash across town to her apartment. His muscles flexed with the need, but he managed to hold himself steady. “Why are you telling me this?”

Rocksteady stood, glaring daggers. “Because you’re the reason she’s so upset! And for that I should crack that shell of yours!” He growled. “But I’m not gonna. She cares about you for some stupid reason and hurtin’ you would only hurt her.”

Leo frowned, not sure if he was hearing right. “You mean you want us to be together?”

Rocksteady grunted. “I don’t like it. But yeah, for Sams I do.”

Leo hesitated, wondering if it was some type of trick. “What about….us?” He motioned to the three of them.

Bebop snorted. “I’m just here to make sure you don’t do nothin’ stupid.”

But Rocksteady sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. “I’m willin’ to let the past be the past. But get this straight, turtle. This is for _her_ not you.”

Leo’s frown deepened. He wanted to agree, but again his honor tugged at him, reminding him they were sworn enemies. “Let’s just go see her for now. Then we’ll discuss it.” He turned headed for the window again.

“We’ll go with you.” Rocksteady started after him.

“She wasn’t lookin’ so great when we left.” Bebop commented.

Leo turned as he reached the window. “What do you mean? How could you let her get that bad off? Weren’t you keeping an eye on her?” He glared at Rocksteady.

He shifted, rubbing his neck. “Well, uh, she sorta kicked us out a few days ago. We just figured out somethin’ was wrong today.”

“Kicked you out?” Leo put up his hand when Bebop started to explain. “Never mind.” He waved at April behind them. “Thanks, April. We’ll talk later, okay?”

She smiled weakly. “Okay, good luck, Leonardo.”

He climbed out and to the rooftop, not bothering to check if he was being followed. The two did manage to keep up with him as he sprinted across town and descended into the alley near Sams’ apartment. As they drew close, he could see the door standing wide open. He shot a look over his shoulder at Rocksteady. “Why is her door open?”

“She didn’t want to open it, so we kinda had to break it.” He explained.

Leo took the few stairs in one leap, barely slowing as he entered. The apartment was dark, so he flipped on the switch. He stared around as Rocksteady and Bebop came in. No one was there. “Where is she! Sams!” He went to the bathroom door and checked inside, but it was empty as well. He spun on the two mutants. “I thought you said she was here!”

“She was!” Rocksteady protested, throwing back the covers just to be certain she wasn’t under them. “I don’t understand! She was just here!”

“She couldn’t’ve gone far.” Bebop reminded them. “She wasn’t in any shape ta.”

“We need to find her now!” Leo looked around the room in search of anything that might give him a clue. “My turtle-com? It’s not here.” He placed a hand on the dresser where she’d laid it the night he’d given it to her.

Bebop and Rocksteady exchanged a look. “So?”

Leo was already pulling out the spare com he’d snagged from Donnie’s lab several days ago. “I can track her.” He fiddled with the knobs and buttons for a minute, trying to remember how Donnie usually did it. His eyes lit up as a blip finally appeared. “Got it! Let’s go!” Throwing caution to the wind, the three sprinted down the sidewalk in Sams’ direction.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Sams stared at the large man in front of her, frozen like a deer in the headlights. Her heart was pounding so loud that it sounded like a train in her ears. She’d suddenly lost all ability to speak and her mind spun out of control. The man took a step towards her with a wicked grin. “Steve said you looked just like her and he was right.” He grabbed a fist full of her curls as he stepped into her personal space. She wanted to gag at the smell of booze and body odor. His eyes roamed her face, dropping to the com still clutched in her hand. “What’s this? Some kind of new cellphone?”

When he took it from her, something snapped to life inside her. She tried to grab for it. “No!”

He shoved her against the brick wall with one large meaty hand. “You won’t be needing it anymore.” He threw it into the street, where a passing car smashed it. He grabbed her roughly by the arm, dragging her into the nearby alley. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson for runnin’ off. One you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”

She struggled, but it was futile. He was nearly as big as Joey. “Please!” She begged as he threw her against the wall, knocking the air out of her. The impact of his fist in her gut made her double over. She fumbled for her pocket as he hit her across the face. The switchblade nearly fell from her hand, but she grasped it, swinging it up. “Back off!”

He laughed as he easily knocked it out of her hand. She gasped as he grabbed her by the chin, half choking her in the process. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna damage that pretty face of yours…permanently.” His hand tightened around her throat and a slow dread pooled in her stomach.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Leo stopped on a mostly deserted street as the blip suddenly disappeared. He frowned, trying the knobs again. “Come on!” He growled. He couldn’t lose the signal now!

“What’s wrong?” Rocksteady stopped beside him, looking down at the com in his hand.

“I’ve lost the signal.”

Rocksteady snarled. “Well, get it back!”

“I’m trying!” After just another second, Leo became too frustrated with the device and closed it. “The signal was coming from this way.” He pointed up the street, then took off without bothering to look back. Even though the street was dark, he was easily able to scan it as they ran. Something caught his eye in the street, the shattered remains of the turtle-com. He stopped, scanning his surroundings. He could smell her scent. She was so close.

Beside him Rocksteady seemed to pick up on it as well. He sprinted to a nearby alley, stopping cold in the entrance. Leo, who was just behind him, slid to a stop, his chest tightening. “Sams!”

Samantha blinked at the sound of her name, her vision fuzzy around the edges. “Leo…”

He growled. “Let her go!”

The man glanced at them over his shoulder. “It’d figure you’d be hocked up with these freaks.” He snarled in Sams’ face.

Rocksteady was boiling. “Get away from her!”

When he glanced back at the pair moving up the alley once more, Sams kicked him in the stomach. He groaned, releasing her and taking a step back. “Why you-!” He backhanded her. The force of which sent her into the wall on the opposite side of the alley.

She started to collapse from the impact, but Leo caught her, easing her to her knees as he drew his sword. His eyes were like ice. “Touch her again and I swear it will be the last thing you ever do.”

The man stared at them for a split second before he was being pounded by Rocksteady. “I swore if you ever laid a hand on her again, I was gonna kill you!” He threw blow after blow. He was finally larger than their father. Large enough to show him what it felt like to be on the receiving end of a fist. And he was going to repay him for every black eye, busted nose and broken bone he’d ever been given.

Leo frowned at the carnage, but had no desire to interfere. His attention was more on Sams. Sheathing his weapon, he touched her cheek tenderly, which seemed paler and thinner beneath his fingers. “Sams?” Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing. She’d been knocked out by her run-in with the wall. He stroked her hair warmly. “Come on, sweetheart. Wake up.”

Slowly her eyes opened. She touched his face softly. “Leo.”

He sighed both from the tenderness of her touch and the endearing nickname he’d just been given. “Are you okay?” She gave a small nod, tears welling in her eyes. Her gaze shifted to where the sounds of the fight were. If one could call it a fight? Because if it was, it was wholly one sided.

Rocksteady picked up the discarded switchblade. He would make sure this never happened again. He would protect his sister. His hand tightened on the handle as he brought it up to plunge it into his father’s chest. He’d never killed a man outright. But no one had ever stirred this type of hatred and ager in him. The world would be far better off without this scumbag in it.

“No!” Sams’ cry stopped his hand in its descent.

“Why! He deserves it! After what he’s done to us!”

She pulled away from Leo to crawl the few feet between them to where he knelt over the bloody heap of their father. She placed her hands on his large shoulder. “Joey, he’s not worth it. Don’t cross that line. Please.” Her tears slipped free. “If you do, I’ll lose you forever. I know it.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Please.”

Rocksteady was shaking all over. He stared at the blade in his hand, the desire to end things for good thick in his chest. One last blow, that’s all it would take and he would be out of their lives permanently. He would never be able to threaten them or hurt them again. One blow…just one….

Samantha’s tears dampened his shoulder. But he couldn’t, not with her so close and her plea ringing in his ear. He shuddered violently and threw the knife aside.

“Joey?” Mumbled the man on the ground. His eyes widened. “You’re my son?” He scooted away from them. “But you’re…you’re a monster?”

Rocksteady’s shoulders sagged and Samantha lifted her head, her tone harsh. “The only monster here is _you_.” The man just got up and scrambled out the other end of the alley. Samantha went limp, her body finally giving in to exhaustion and weakness.

Joey gasped, catching her as she started to fall again. “Sams!”

Leo was beside them in a flash. A cursory exam showed her to be breathing  and with a steady pulse. “It’s okay. I think she just passed out.”

Bebop, who’d joined them, let out a breath of relief. “Poor kid. Should we take her back to her apartment?”

“No. She’s coming home with me.” Leo stated, slipping his arms beneath her, cradling her against his chest.

Rocksteady started to protest, but decided better of it. His ears drooped. “Yeah, she’s probably better off with you do-gooders anyway. We’ll go back and lock her place up somehow.”

Leo smiled slightly as they moved back out of the alley. “You did good tonight, Rocksteady. You made the right choice.”

Rocksteady’s ears perked up a bit as he watched the turtle walk away with his baby sister held securely in his arms.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Leo took a deep breath before entering the lair. His brothers looked up from the television. “Leo you’re back.” Don gasped. “Sams!”

Mikey jumped up, following after his brother. “Is she okay?”

Leo didn’t slow his pace until he reached the bedroom, where he gently laid Sams on his bed, covering her with his blanket. Raph frowned. “What happened? Who did this?”

Leo knelt beside the bed and softly brushed the curls from her face. “She was attacked by her father.”

Don moved around to the opposite side from him. “Let me take a look at her.”

Leo frowned, but nodded. He watched his brother’s every move as he probed her upper body and ribcage. Finally, Don gave a small nod of his own. “Everything is pretty superficial, except for her wrist. It’s sprained. And she seems a touch malnourished.” He seemed a bit confused by the last part.

“My sons, what is happening here?” Splinter’s eyes widened at the sight of Sams in Leo’s bed. He moved forward with concern in his eyes to stand beside Don. “Samantha?”

“She’ll be okay.” Don assured him.

Leo took a deep breath, standing. “Master, I need to talk to you.”

The old rat nodded. Mikey squeezed Leo’s shoulder. “We’ll keep an eye on her, bro.”

Leo allowed a small smile. “Thanks, Michelangelo.” Then he turned and followed Splinter to his room. He knelt on the tatami mat, his head down.

Splinter frowned at him. “Leonardo, what is that weighs upon your soul?”

Leo took a deep breath. “I have dishonored you, Father. I tried to let her go, but I can’t. She’s a part of me. When I’m away from her, I feel so empty and cold. I love her and I can’t walk away, not even if her brother is Rocksteady. You can punish me however you see fit. But I will not abandon her again.”


	11. Compromise

Splinter stared at him for a long moment, processing what he’d said. “You are saying that Samantha is Rocksteady’s sister?”

“Yes, Master.” Leo didn’t dare lift his head for fear of the disappointment in his father’s eyes.

“And you have known about this for several days?”

“Yes.”

Splinter sighed. He understood now why Leonardo had been acting so odd the past few days. He lifted the turtle’s chin with a finger. “I have no punishment to give worse than you have already given yourself.”

Leo blinked in surprise. “But…she’s Rocksteady’s sister. And he worked for the Shredder and-“

“I cannot judge Samantha on the actions of others, be they relatives or not. I can only judge her on her own merits.” Splinter smiled warmly. “And I find those exceedingly good. She has a kind heart and a strong will. These are worthy characteristics, my son.”

“Then I haven’t dishonored you?”

Splinter’s smile grew. “You cannot dishonor me by falling in love. Now go, she needs you.”

Leo smiled tentatively, his eyes glistening with unshed tears of gratitude. “Thank you, Master Splinter.” He bowed low and then headed back to the bedroom. His brothers were gathered at the foot of his bed and he gave them a smile as well. Things were going to get better from here. They had to. “Hey, guys. I’m sorry about the last few days. I haven’t been myself.”

“Yeah, we noticed.” Raph pointed out, but there was no malice in his tone.

Sams’ eyes fluttered open and Leo quickly stepped to her side, sitting on the side of the bed. He leaned over, smiling. “Hey.”

She smiled up at him. “Leo.” Wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in it, she shuddered.

He held her tight, drawing in the vanilla scent of her hair. “It’s alright. I’ve got you, sweetheart.”

“You came looking for me.” She said softly.

Digging his fingers into her curls, he drew in a deep breath at the pain in her voice. “Of course I did. When he told me what was happening. I had to. I had to see you.” He leaned back cupping her cheek gently. She flinched and he frowned. “Does it hurt?” She gave a small nod.

“I’ll get you an ice pack.” Mikey scurried away to dig one out of the freezer. Samantha blushed a bit, finally noticing her surroundings and the three brothers watching them.

“I’ll get you something to drink and some aspirin.” Raph headed for the first aid kit.

“I need to get something to wrap that wrist with too. I’ll be right back.” Don left in the same direction as Raph.

When they were gone, Leo eased Sams back onto her pillow. He looked away shamefully. “I’m sorry for what I did. I can’t expect you to give up your family any more than I can my own.” He finally looked back at her with pleading eyes. “Please forgive me.”

She lifted her uninjured hand to wrap it around his neck and pull him down into a passionate kiss. Her fingernails dug into the base of his neck as his arms slid beneath her, encircling her in warmth and strength. His body was on fire as her tongue wrestled with his, expressing everything she couldn’t put into words. At last he pulled away panting. She chuckled. “Does that answer your question?”

He smiled. “Yes, more than enough.”

Her hand slid from his neck to his cheek. Her gaze held hope and pain, when she spoke. “I love you, Leo. Let’s not ever do that again.”

He turned his head to kiss her palm. “Never ever again.” His smile widened and there was a sparkle in his eye. “I love you too, Cupcake.”

She tried to smile as well, but ended up grimacing as it hurt her face. Mikey appeared with the ice pack. “Here, dudette.”

“Thank you, Michelangelo.” She took it gratefully, pressing it against her bruising face.

“Here you go.” Raph appeared carrying a glass of water and two pills, which Leo took. He lifted an eye ridge at them. “Cupcake?” Leo shot him a glare, but his brother shrugged. “Sorry, couldn’t help but overhear.”

“It’s a nickname my brother gave me a long time ago.” Sams took the cup and pills from Leo, downing them in a few gulps.

“Your brother?” Don appeared on Leo’s side of the bed with the bandage for her wrist. As he began the process of wrapping her injury, Leo sighed.

“You better sit down guys. We have a story to tell you and you may not believe a lot of it.” His gaze met Sams. “But it’s all true.”

A little while later they sat about the room in silence. Finally, Raph spoke. “Man, that is just hard to wrap my head around. From what we know of Rocksteady, you two are nothing alike.”

“He’s been on the Shredder’s team for a long time, Sams.” Don explained softly. “We’re just not used to thinking of him as anything other than a bad guy.”

“Yeah, no wonder Leonardo’s been in such a funk the last few days.” Mikey mumbled.

“You may know him as Rocksteady and by what he is now. But to me he’s Joey. He saved me, protected me, and gave me a chance to be what I am now.” Samantha looked down at her hands and Leo covered them with one of his. She met his gaze. “Was he…was he okay?”

Leo sighed. “Yeah, he was still a little upset when we left, but other than that he was fine.”

“I want to see him.”

Leo gave a small nod. “Okay, but for now you need to rest.” He gestured to his brothers and they filed out of the bedroom area. He kissed her brow. “When you wake up, we’ll see what we can do.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

When the knock came on the warehouse door, Bebop hurried to answer it. He was only slightly surprised to see Sams and the turtles. He stepped back allowing them in. “Hey, Rocksteady!”

Across the room, he looked up from his plate, where he’d been pushing around his food. His eyes lit up as his sister approached. “Sams!”

She hugged him. “I was worried about you. Are you okay?”

She released him and he frowned down at her. “I’m fine. But you…” He ran a finger across the bruise on her cheek. “I’m sorry. I never wanted him to touch you again.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

She smiled and his gaze fell to her wrist still wrapped in the tight bandage. He lifted her hand gently. “I’m sorry about this too. Does it hurt?”

She shook her head. “No, not much.”

Leo, who was standing just behind her, frowned. “What do you mean? Did you do that to her?” Rocksteady lowered his head and Leo took a step forward, grabbing his shirt front. “Did you!”

Samantha stepped between them, a firm hand on Leo’s chest. “It was an accident. We were arguing. You should know by now he would never intentionally hurt me.”

Leo didn’t know that for certain. He’d only seen the siblings interact for a few minutes at a time. He released Rocksteady, but continued to glare at him. The mutant sighed. “I didn’t mean to. Sometimes I don’t know my own strength.”

Leo’s frown turned from one of anger to one of pity. He could see how the idea of hurting Sams caused his old foe pain. He sighed, slipping his arm around Sams’ waist. “So, what do we do now? You guys can’t go around the city robbing banks and making trouble.”

Bebop snorted. “So, how exactly are we supposed to survive? There ain’t no jobs for mutant warthogs and rhinos out there.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Unless you know somethin’ we don’t?”

Raph folded his arms. “Sorry, bub, but we don’t even know of any for turtles.”

Rocksteady sighed. “Even if we could find somethin’, nobody’d hire us. Not with our records.”

“Actually, your last arrest as Joseph Riggs was when you were only seventeen.” Don pointed out. “And those records are sealed in the juvenile system. You haven’t been arrested for anything since then, have you?”

Rocksteady and Bebop exchanged looks. Bebop shook his head. “Not under our real names.”

“Then no employer can find that information out.” Don assured them.

“Still don’t matter. I mean look at us, we’re worse freaks than you four.” Rocksteady turned away from Sams as she reached for him.

“He does have a point. They did scrap the bottom of the ugly barrel when it came to you two.” Raph commented, gaining a glare from Leo.

Turning his attention back to Rocksteady, Leo couldn’t help but tense slightly at what he was about to propose. “So, if you two were normal humans again, would that mean you’d go straight?”

“It’d be hard.” Rocksteady turned meeting Sams’ gaze. “But I’d do it for you, Cupcake.”

Bebop sighed. “Yeah, it would be nice to see my mom again. I ain’t wanted show up and scare her loookin’ like this.” He looked down at his pink-brown skin with little hairs sticking out everywhere.

“Well, we might be able to help you with that.” Leo looked over at Don. “Donatello?”

His brother looked skeptically between the two mutants. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Don reached into the bag he was carrying to pull out a gun-like device. “We have Shredder’s old retro-mutagen gun.” He held it lightly, making sure not to brandish it as a weapon.

“Retro-mutagen gun?” Samantha looked up at Leo questioningly. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Leo sighed, taking her shoulders. “Because I didn’t know if they would even go for it.”

“Or if they would turn on us.” Mikey eyed Bebop suspiciously. “They have been mondo rude to us in the past.”

“That was when we worked for Shred-head.” Bebop pointed out just as strongly. “We don’t no more.”

Raph frowned at him. “And that’s the only reason we’re havin’ this conversation.”

“Enough guys.” Leo ordered, then turned back to Rocksteady. “So, do we have a deal. We turn you human and you guys do the right thing,” he looked down at the young woman in his arms, “for Sams.”

The two exchanged another look. “Deal.” They said in unison.

“Okay, then you guys step over there. Everyone else stay back. We don’t want to be hit by the ray.” Don adjusted the dial as everyone did as he instructed. He leveled the laser at them. “Here goes nothing.”

The ray struck true and before their eyes the two mutants became human. Rocksteady stared down at his human hands. They were still large, but they were now covered in pale human flesh not rhino hide. Overall he was only slightly smaller than his mutated form, after all he’d been a large human to begin with. He looked to his left where Bebop was doing much the same, examining the self he’d lost more than a decade earlier.

“This is so….cool!” Bebop grinned brightly.

“Joey!” Samantha raced up to him, hugging him tightly. He now resembled the brother she remembered – the one that had cared for her when no one else had.

He picked her and spun her around with a laugh. “Ain’t this great, Sams!”

She giggled. “Yes, it is!” He set her down and she strolled back to Leo, smiling up at him. “And it’s all thanks to you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Leo.” She leaned up kissing him warmly. Leo felt a blush rise to his cheeks at their rather large audience, but it quickly faded under the passion of her kiss, his arms tightening around her. At last she pulled away, still smiling. “Thank you.”

He brushed a hand through her hair. “I’d do anything for you, Sams.”

Mikey grinned at the couple and elbowed Raph, who rolled his eyes. Raph turned his attention to the dark skinned man with the purple mohawk. “So, Bebop, what you gonna do now that you’re human?”

Bebop shoved his trademark purple sunglasses up his nose with a wide grin. “Me? First I’m, getting’ a haircut. Then I’m goin’ home to see my mama.” He started towards the door, but paused. “And its Arnold. Arnold Smith from now on.” He waved at his old friend. “See ya around, Joey.”

“See you, Arny.” Rocksteady still had on a large smile of his own.

“And what about you?” Don asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Sams is the only family I got.”

“Well, you can come stay at my place for now. We can figure the rest out as we go.” She smiled at her brother.

Joey rubbed his neck. “Yeah, about that…” He pulled a paper from his pocket. “Uh, you kinda got evicted.”

“What!” She took the paper from him, reading it. “Several noise complaints and destruction of property.” She groaned, dropping her face into her hand. Well, that did it. She was back to square one. She’d lost her apartment and likely her job as she hadn’t been there in nearly a week without calling in.

“Well, we did get your things out.” Joey held up her old duffle bag. He raised a blonde eyebrow at her. “By the way, I can’t believe you still got this.” He pulled out the children’s book.

Leo took the book from his with a smirk. “The Monster at the End of This Book?”

Sams blushed. “It was always my favorite. Joey used to read it to me when I was small.”

Leo smiled at Joey. “Well, it seems some monsters really do turn out to be friends.” He handed the book back. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Joey blinked. “You’re taking me to your home?”

Leo nodded. “Sams is already family, so that makes you family too. We can only learn to become more than what we are, if we learn to trust. And I think it’s time we started to trust you, Joey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the great kudos and comments! You guys are fabulous!


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